Fate: Renewal
by Listvy
Summary: After the Great Holy Grail War came to a close, Astolfo found himself struggling to fulfill Sieg's wish. Luckily, he finds himself in the company of a mysterious magus investigator. The two embark on an investigation to rescue a missing mage, while quickly growing close to one another. - AstolfoXOC - may get a little smutty later on, but also exploring what comes after Apocrypha ;)
1. Prologue

Prologue

The fair knight swung his legs back and forth through the midnight air. The ruined castle of the Yggdmillennia clan was lit only by the stars during this new moon, but Astolfo could see it clearly as he did during those fateful days. With a sigh, he laid his back atop the roof of the building and looked up towards the sky, reaching outward.

"You never told me being a hero in this world would be so lonely, Master," Astolfo said to himself.

Letting his gauntleted hand fall to his side, Astolfo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was given a task that made him more than happy: to remain here, and bring joy to humanity. Every new moon, however, Astolfo would look up at the sky with sorrow in his heart. During this phase, his "senses" would return to him. For just one night, gone were the impulsive and lighthearted decisions of the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne. So why, during this one day, would he always feel this way? Why did his most lucid day always result in this emptiness? Humanity was saved and he had been given a second chance at life. But even still, he wondered why couldn't it have been _him_ who sacrificed himself? Why did it have to be...

 _No,_ Astolfo corrected himself. _He was more than just my Master. Sieg was something more to me, he was…_

"SCRAW!" A winged beast roared as it landed next to Astolfo, perching its claws and hooves on the rooftop. The creature's giant, eagle-like wings folded up to its horse-like torso and began to cock its avian head curiously its Rider.

Astolfo reflexively formed a small smile at the sight of his trusty companion.

"You too, huh?" Astolfo said. "I guess that makes sense, you are the only Hippogriff I've ever seen.

"Scraw..." The Hippogriff whimpered.

"I- I- I'm sorry!" Astolfo apologized, waving his hands out in front of him. "Maybe one day we'll find you another one! I'll add it to the list of adventurers, eh?"

"Scraw!" It replied, raising its wings up and nuzzling its neck against the top of Astolfo's head.

The paladin giggled with a more radiant smile this time, and put his arms around the Hippogriff.

"You big goofball," Astolfo laughed as he climbed onto the back of the Hippogriff and pat its head. "You're right though, no sense in moping around here. Let's go… do... something!"

"Scraw?"

"Just go okay? I'll figure it out on the way… like I always do!"

"Scraw!" The Hippogriff let out a loud cry this time, bursting forth its wings and taking to the night sky.

Astolfo pulled out a map of the world and put a finger to his chin in thought before putting it to the paper and circling around until one area suited his fancy. He noticed his finger trembled on the paper. He clenched his teeth.

 _Not now,_ he thought, _I can do this. I can do this…. I can..._

"There!" He shouted in joy. "That place sounds like fun. Onward! This way… I think. No wait, that way! Yes, that way!"

"Scraw…"

Astolfo could have sworn he saw Hippogriff shake his head at him.

"Hey I'm known for adventuring, not navigating!" He responded before bonking his mount playfully on the head.

After taking a deep breath of the frigid night air, Astolfo slapped his face with both hands and put on a determined grin.

"Let's go!"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The city of Mannheim was eerily beautiful that night. While the moon was dark, the sky was full of stars which shone down ever so slightly. Regardless of the darkness, a young man walked alone down the street towards a warehouse quarantined with police tape. His hands were buried in the pockets of his overcoat while his hair was disrupted by the autumn night breeze.

"Yeah," he said quietly to himself. "This is the spot."

The von Brandt family had paid him good money for this job, so there was no backing down now. The lone man walked up to the tape, knelt to the ground and placed two fingers on the concrete below.

" _Spur, Ein,_ " the lone man whispered aloud, closing his eyes.

Suddenly, he could see the entire warehouse's layout down to every detail. The ventilation, the pipes, the structure… it all came to him like a vision. Once he was satisfied that the building had not been disturbed in several hours, he opened his eyes, ducked under the police tape and stepped inside.

The door had obviously been forced open. _Most likely by local police,_ he thought. Stepping atop the mangled metal door made a sickening creak that echoed through the empty concrete building. In such a large emptiness, the few objects that remained stood out. There was a single shipping container with a mattress and several discarded cans of food. Outside that, was a metal office chair pushed to the side and an overturned metal table with several bullet holes in it.

"Suspect was surprised, but not ill-prepared," he mused.

Looking to his feet, there were several chalk outlines of the unfortunate officers who attempted to arrest the suspect, accompanied by a large assortment of bullet holes in the wall surrounding the door. Sighing, the man proceeded closer to the shipping crate. If his intel was correct, this scene confirmed his suspicions: Ezren von Brandt, heiress to the von Brandt minor magus family, had indeed been kidnapped.

What was curious, however, was the captor in question. They appeared to be alone - the vector of the projectiles seemed to originate from a single spot. The only real cover was the shipping crate and the table. There were bullet casings only near the table and the front door.

The investigative man knelt down near the opening of the crate. A padlock had been hastily unlocked and discarded, key still in place. _The captor must have retrieved Ezren when the police arrived. But, how did they escape?_ The man's eyes caught glimpse of an amber glow reflecting off some of the dust on the floor in between the two combatants. _Some sort of smoke screen? There's no sign of conventional smoke bombs or anything, however._ He looked towards the rear of the warehouse. Behind was the River Rhine. There must have been only one way out in this situation.

The scene unfolded in the investigator's mind in a matter of seconds. The police charged in, the captor quickly dispatched them, created a distraction and escaped with their prisoner… into the river. The question now was who was the captor? Were they truly alone? While there were quite a few bullet holes in the door frame, they only seemed to originate from the table.

 _Wait a second,_ he realized, some of _these aren't bullet holes…_

His concentration was broken by what sounded like a large bird calling through the night.

"What on earth is that?"

Then, he caught a glimpse of something…

"Magnificent…"

#####

 _This new moon will only last so long,_ Astolfo thought. _I'd better make use of it while I can…_

Morning drew near, and once the new moon was over, Astolfo would revert to his senseless, carefree self. Though still functioning, he had trouble focusing and planning anything in this state. Still, once it happened. It felt… right. In a way, Astolfo disliked being this deep in thought. He prefered to roam the world without a care in the world. For now though, he had a purpose. He knew he needed to at least catapult himself in the right direction. Towards a place where he can do some good. Towards someone who may need him.

Looking down at the Germanic city gave him fond memories of Holy Rome. Once he would adventure through these lands, bringing glory to his king and peace to his kingdom. He chuckled at the thought that he was once again venturing for such a goal.

The Hippogriff landed near the River Rhine in what looked to be the least populated part of the city, amongst some abandoned industrial structures that once fueled war years ago. Though this was still a time of mages and magic, a mythical beast flying through the night sky still isn't the most discreet way of travel. Astolfo hopped off the back of his faithful companion and petted its feathers with a smile.

"You're have to stay here for awhile okay?" He said. "We don't have the luxury of spirit form anymore. This is the real deal, okay? This is our second chance."

Astolfo noticed his hand was trembling once again. Was he speaking to Hippogriff or himself…? Regardless, he took a deep breath and reached into the bag on the saddle and retrieved a set of his favorite clothes. He smiled at the purple and black outfit - a memory from his time in Trifas with Sieg.

"Time to ditch this armor for the time being," he said. "Gotta blend in. When in Rome and all that!"

After motioning for Hippogriff to lay low in the factory basement, Astolfo began changing behind the assembly line. Doffing his armor, he revealed his slender frame beneath. While it was something he was proud of, it was liberating to be out of that armor from time to time. As he kicked off his boots however, he heard something behind him. Instinctively, he pulled his white fur cloak around his body and dropped to defensive stance.

"Reveal yourself!" Astolfo shouted. Though his face went from red from anger to a deep blush of embarrassment when he saw the intruder. It was a young man, close to Astolfo's own age, with shining white hair and rose colored eyes that seemed to reflect the color of Astolfo's cheeks. The rosey eyed man quickly put up a hand to his face and stepped back.

"My apologies," he said calmly. "I was just looking into something I saw out here. Did you see something… flying around this area?"

Astolfo froze for a second in thought, but then clutched the fur cloak closer to his body. This only extintuated it even further, however, making him even more flustered. _What is with this guy?_ He thought. _Why is he so… gah…_

"Could we um," Astolfo muttered, "have this conversation after I change?"

"Oh," the man said. "Right. I'll wait… over here."

Awkwardly, the man took a few steps behind the assembly machine. Astolfo sighed and let his cape fall to floor once he was sure the man was out of sight. He reached down to his clothes and began to get dressed. While pulling up his black stockings, he found himself uncomfortable with how quiet the man had gotten.

"So… you said you saw something _flying_?" Astolfo said, breaking the awkward silence. "Like what, a plane?"

"No," the man said plainly. "It may sound strange but… I could of sworn I saw a huge bird. I know that sounds odd, but… it's in my nature to look into odd things."

 _Ah, crud,_ Astolfo thought. "Yeah that's weird alright. Sure you haven't had too much to drink, friend?"

"I've been sober for awhile. But the night is late, I suppose. Say… what are you doing out here at this hour?"

"I… I could ask you the same!" Astolfo shouted back.

"You already did…" the man retorted.

 _Crap!_ Astolfo thought. "Well… you didn't explain yourself very well!"

"Right," he said. "Fair enough. I was investigating a crime scene and I got distracted. Now your turn."

 _So blunt!_ Astolfo felt the need to hide his blush even though he was out of sight. He felt like this man could see right into his soul from a mile away. Why was this guy so straightforward? He'd never met someone so…

"A crime scene?!" Astolfo said, pulling his purple jacket over his striped shirt. "What are you, a cop?"

"No," the man said. "More like a private eye, I suppose you could say."

"Right, well…"

Astolfo took a step out from beyond the assembly line, straightening his short, black skirt. He put his hands behind his back and leaned forward with a smile, his pronounced canine showing.

"...how about we start fresh?" astolfo continued. "My name's Astolfo! What's yours?"

#####

"... Otto."

Otto was slightly taken aback at the figure before him. Astolfo's feminine figure was even more apparent in the small shirt and short skirt. It was… surprisingly cute. The masculine 'O' in their name threw Otto off, however.

Behind Astolfo's feet, Otto noticed what looked like discarded metal gauntlets and boots.

"Oh I get it," Otto said energetically and a hand to the back of his neck. "You're a cosplayer! I don't know of any convention going on now, but I suppose there are cosplay parties around."

"Cos...play?" Astolfo said, cocking his head to the side. Suddenly he stood defiantly and pointed a thumb to his chest. "I am Astolfo! One of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne!"

Otto clasped his hands together, suddenly looking less serious and more like a child. "Oh! That's your character! From the Carolingian cycle, the French tale."

"You know… my story?" Astolfo said quietly.

"I um… read a lot." Otto responded.

Astolfo smiled warmly and put out a hand to Otto. "Nice to meet you, Otto." The name reminded Astolfo of one of Charlemagne's sons. A child destined for greatness. _Right… I'm a… 'cosplayer' I suppose…_

"Likewise," Otto said with a smile in turn. "Nice to see someone who appreciates good literature."

"Right... So, what are you out here to investigate?"

"I um… It's a long story. Why are you out here all alone?"

"Also a long story." Astolfo quipped quickly. After a short pause, he looked to the ground and added, "I don't have anywhere to stay actually. I haven't really thought this through I suppose."

"You mean you're camping out here on the streets?!" Otto said. "You don't have a hotel or anything?"

Astolfo made the motion of pulling out pockets, even though he had none. "No money, heh."

"Oh…" Otto said quietly. "I um… You could… You want to crash on my couch?"

"Um… Um…" Astolfo blushed again and looked from side to side. "You literally just met me. Are you sure?"

Otto shrugged. "I like to think I'm good at reading people, and you seem alright. Just down on your luck, I'm guessing."

Astolfo sighed. He really didn't plan this, did he? Without Sieg's supply of mana Astolfo's form was restored to a more permanent, corporeal state by the Holy Grail. While this meant he could remain on Earth after the Holy Grail War, it also meant he was essentially human again. He couldn't hide in spirit form, and had to eat and sleep to maintain energy. While still retaining many of his powers and resistances, he still had to deal with many mundane problems now.

"Yeah," Astolfo said, looking at the ground. "I'd rather not get into it…"

"No need," Otto said quickly. "Just… if you need a hand, I don't mind giving it. Let's get you inside. You like hot tea? That should warm you up, you must be freezing."

Astolfo looked up at Otto's rosy eyes and found himself momentarily lost in them. He wasn't sure if his knees were shaking from the cold or something else.

"Tea sounds… nice."

#####

Arentina let out a sigh of relief as the city retreated from their rear view. The red dyed tips of her white hair covered her face when she looked up, prompting her to blow it away. To her side, the von Brandt child was sound asleep, bundled up in a small blanket. Arentina shivered at the cold breeze of the river - the metallic replacements in her arms felt like piercing ice against her flesh. She could take the blanket from her hostage, but frankly even she couldn't bring herself to steal from a kid. As Arentina finally relaxed, the small motorboat engine began to sputter out as they drifted down the river.

"Oh, C'mon!" she shouted, kicking at the engine with a metallic clang. "You damned machine!"

The force of her new leg ripped the engine block from the chassis and sent the machine flying into the river. The color from her already pale face drained into a ghostly visage, accompanied by a pitiful look of regret.

"Woops…"

Ezren stirred, rubbing her big, brown eyes as she looked up at Arentina.

"You broke the boat," the girl said matter-of-factly.

"Did not!" Arentina shouted. "It was already broke!"

"... So what do we now?"

Arentina looked around. They were essentially stranded in the middle of a freezing river, slowly drifting downstream.

"Tch," Arentina let out. "I can't risk anyone finding us here. We need to move."

She reached into her satchel and pulled out several multicolored mana crystals. Her red eyes fixated on them for a moment, hesitating. Arentina could feel the pulsing in her heart every time she grasped these. Her body telling her _more, more,_ _ **more**_. She shook her head and grasped the crystals until they began to crush in her hand. _What a waste,_ she thought. Leaning over the ruined motor fixture, she began to sprinkle the mana dust behind them.

"Entzünden." She chanted, setting the dust behind them briefly ablaze - a prismatic explosion. It was enough to propel them forward and then towards the shore. "Hold on, little one."

Ezren, for better or worse, quickly grabbed ahold of Arentina, like a child clinging to their mother. The brown haired girl trusted too easily, Arentina thought. Still, it made Arentina flinch with a strange feeling and need to protect her. _This isn't for Ezren,_ she reminded herself. _This is for Aura…_

The boat accelerated; faster and faster it moved towards an uninhabited shore. Arentina instinctively grabbed ahold of a yelping Ezren as the two were flung from the boat and into the nearby woods. Grabbing ahold of each other, they went tumbling down a small hill and into the heart of the woods. When they finally settled, Arentina quickly let go of Ezren and begin wiping the dirt off her leather jacket and magenta scarf.

"Gah!" Arentina spat. "Stupid boat. Stupid woods. Stupid cops!" She stopped herself at the last comment. She felt her fingers twitch at the memory of her mana crystals cutting through the arteries of those men. _Why did they have to be there? I covered my tracks - no one was supposed to get hurt! How many… how many lives will it take?_ she thought to herself, biting her tongue. She gripped her fists tighter and tighter, until her nails began to dig into her palm.

Ezren got up with a curious look. Walking up to Arentina, the little girl grabbed the troubled woman's hand, holding it close.

"What…" Arentina whispered, snapping out of it. "What are you doing?"

"It's cold," Ezren said quickly, looking straight ahead. "We need to find somewhere to stay."

Aretina's jaw fell slightly. _What's with this kid?_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Otto could feel the sunlight piercing the curtains and onto his eyelids as he lay in bed. He let out a groan and leaned over onto his side. Before he could get comfortable enough to fall back asleep however, he felt the unmistakable sensation of someone being near him, making his eyes shoot open.

"Gooooooooooood Morning!~" The pink haired guest shouted with a radiant smile, leaning in only a few inches away from Otto's face.

"Ah!" Otto shouted in surprise, sitting up and scooting back on his bed. "Wha- what are you doing in here?"

"To wake you up of course!" Astolfo said with a closed eyed grin. "You slept in for so long I was getting worried."

"Yeah, well," Otto said, scratching the back of his head and throwing off the covers. "I like to sleep, and I do most of my work at night."

Otto's figure was surprisingly built without a huge overcoat hiding it. Astolfo blushed slightly at his now bare chest.

"S-s-sorry! You can go back to sleep if you want! I just… well… your breakfast is getting cold!"

"Breakfast…?" Otto could barely get a word in before Astolfo grabbed his hand and practically dragged him to the kitchen of his apartment. Otto was taken aback, not only by Astolfo's sudden brazenness, but also by the overwhelming smell of the food prepared. Comically high stacks of pancakes were presented on the kitchen island, along with several plates full of eggs, sausage and fruit. "Astolfo… you didn't have to do all this."

"Nonsense! It's the least I can do for my most gracious host! Now come, let's eat!"

Otto opened his mouth for a moment to ask where the food came from exactly, but he let out a sigh, knowing the answer already. He'd most likely have to go grocery shopping again soon. He thought about scolding Astolfo for being a bit intrusive, but he couldn't find it in himself to disrupt that joyous smile. He surrendered to Astolfo's good nature and sat down at the small dinner table. Astolfo quickly came over to serve him a plate with a little bit of everything before promptly sitting down across from Otto and digging into several pancakes - just pancakes.

"Oi! These are so fluffy!" Astolfo exclaimed. "Did I do good?"

"Yeah…" Otto said hesitantly. His mind was occupied with one question: Why did Astolfo seem so different this morning? Just last night he was quietly sipping tea in the living room. Otto tried to be the one to strike up conversation, something he was not accustomed to, but Astolfo would simply sit there in quiet contemplation - lost in thought.

#####

" _Is everything alright?"_ Otto had asked.

In truth, Astolfo was still thinking about _that_ night a month ago. The night he was nearly scorched to death by Semiramis' Black Coffins. The night that would secretly haunt him every new moon, making his hands tremble. The night that SIeg...

" _Yeah… I'm fine."_

" _You seem like you have something on your mind."_

" _No… I mean… yes, but… I'm not sure how to put it into words…"_ Astolfo shifted uncomfortably in the red couch next to Otto. He took a deep breath to steady his hand, lest he spill his cup of tea. " _Say, I never did thank you…"_

" _No need, I'm glad to help."_

" _I'll umm, figure out somewhere to go tomorrow. I don't want to overstay my welcome."_

" _Take all the time you need."_

" _Why… are you so trusting? You know nothing about me…"_

" _Would you blame me for saying I like helping people?"_

Astolfo blushed, looking away from those stoic, rosy eyes and back at his cup. Astolfo lacked the energy to scold him. He replied without looking. " _That's… no… that's respectable. Thank you, Otto."_

" _Mhmm... Look, you don't have to tell me your life story or anything. We can talk about what to do in the morning. For now just relax. I'm going to get some rest… I have some leads to follow tomorrow. Do you… need anything?_

Astolfo put down his cup on the coffee table and wrapped his arms around himself. " _It is a bit cold tonight…"_

Otto nodded, putting down his cup and walked towards a closet in the hallway of the apartment. " _One second, let me get you a blanket…_ " When he came back to the room, Astolfo had quickly passed out on the couch on his back. Otto paused for a second and cocked his head. Astolfo must of been exhausted, he figured. He let out a sigh and walked up to his guest and laid the blanket atop them, tucking it in slightly. He smiled and shook his head before heading off to bed.

#####

"Is everything alright, Otto?"

The situation seemed to be reversed this morning. Otto's thoughts were bouncing between figuring out the puzzle that was Astolfo along with the circumstances of the Ezren case.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm just thinking… I haven't had my coffee yet-"

"AH!" Astolfo shouted, putting his hands to his heads. "I forgot the coffee! I knew I forgot something! Oh no, oh no!"

"No really, it's fine," Otto tried to say before Astolfo shot out of the chair and tried to quickly. He sighed as he realized it was no use, it seemed Astolfo was in full gear now.

"I should have known! You're an investigator right? You guys are literally powered by coffee. That's just a known fact after all!

"I mean… I just need it to get going in the morning is all, honestly. But- oh, be careful!"

Astolfo had hopped on top of a counter trying to reach some of the higher cabinets, looking for coffee filters. He began to sway a bit after failing to find his target.

"I'm fine, I'm just looking- whoa!"

Otto had moved as swiftly and quietly as an Assassin servant to catch Astolfo. The clumsy paladin was confused as to why his butt hadn't hit the floor yet, and instead was being cradled in the arms of a still shirtless Otto. For a moment, both of them were a bit speechless. Astolfo's mouth opened but no words came out, though he could feel the blood in his cheeks running like a furious torrent.

"How about you let me take it from here?" Otto said with a small smile.

"S-s-sorry! I just wanted you to have a breakfast fit for a king!"

Otto's brows raised at the odd statement. "How about… we just have a breakfast fit for us, alright?"

"... Sure. That sounds good."

Otto let Astolfo down and the two began to chuckle. _What an odd fellow,_ Otto thought to himself. _But, their heart is in the right place._ Once coffee had been served, Otto began to focus again.

"Anyways," he began, "you're obviously from out of town. Can you tell me where you're from? Any family or anything I can contact?"

"Well… I was born in England, but I grew up travelling through France and Germany! Sadly though… um… my family's not… around now…"

Otto frowned. "... No uncles or aunts?" Astolfo shook his head slowly. "Any friends?"

"Well, there is Laeticia… but she's going back to College - I don't want to bother her for awhile. We were… um… vacationing in Trifas. I stayed with her for awhile."

"Romania, huh?"

"Yeah… it's a nice town! You should visit it sometime!"

"Maybe, sometime. Sadly, I can't take a vacation anytime soon."

"Oh right," Astolfo said with renewed vigor, putting his elbows on the table and resting his face in his hands. "I wanted to ask you about what _you_ were doing last night! Watcha investigating?"

"Well," Otto said with his eyes down low, "I'm looking for a missing child, actually."

"Oh… that's awful! Did someone take them?"

"I'm fairly certain, yes."

"We have to find them! Like, immediately! What are we waiting for, let's go!"

Suddenly, Astolfo slammed his hands onto the table. Otto was taken aback by both the brashness and passion suddenly coming from this him.

" _We?"_ Otto asked, puzzled.

"Well… of course. You can't just tell me that and _not_ expect me to get involved! Plus, this is a way I can repay your kindness. Will work for shelter and all that." Astolfo put a hand on his hip and pointed a finger at the detective. " _You_ have a new partner, and their name is Astolfo!"

Otto was utterly lacking any response for a few solid seconds. Finally he replied, "Are you… even qualified to investigate?"

"Nope," Astolfo quickly said with a confident smile. "But I am qualified to adventure! And this can be like an adventure… what's the details, Mr. Otto?"

"I…" Otto stopped himself and let out a long sigh. He wasn't going to be able to talk Astolfo out of this, was he? "I'll brief you on the way." He promptly cleaned his face with a napkin and got up, heading towards his room.

"On the way where…?"

"To our first lead, of course. We have a few potential witnesses to question."

Otto went inside to get dressed while Astolfo began jumping up and down and humming to himself.

"Yahooooo!~"

#####

The River Rhine was truly a sight to behold in the morning, Astolfo realized - it was just as beautiful as it was in his time. There were several small cottages and villages that lined the river outside of Mannheim; Otto and Astolfo rode a small boat of their own down the river, questioning the fishermen if they had seen anything strange last night. The first few looked at the pair with puzzled looks, not having much input to give other than idle gossip of their neighbors. Unfortunately, it seemed most of them had been asleep the night Ezren's captor had fled. While Astolfo seemed frustrated with their lack of progress, Otto simply stood fast while they travelled to the next cottage.

"So… who is this girl we're trying to find?" Astolfo said, his arms around his legs as he sat across from Otto in the boat.

"Ezren von Brandt," Otto answered. "Heiress to the von Brandt magus family. They're a minor family but, with the decline of both the Einzberns and the Yggdmillennia they have recently became more prominent."

"That's a lot of responsibility, huh?"

"Indeed… she's only twelve years old, and she already has quite a burden on her shoulders."

"Seems unfair…"

"Fate rarely is fair," Otto said quietly, his eyes wandering to his feet. Astolfo tilted his head curiously at Otto. After a pause, Otto looked up and their eyes met. He continued, "but… sometimes it's our job to correct that unfairness, despite our destinies."

Astolfo smiled warmly before giggling to himself.

"What- what's so funny?" Otto asked, puzzled.

"You just remind me of someone I once knew…"

"A friend of yours?"

"He… he was… Oh, look! Our next stop!"

The village of Böllenwörth came into view, a small community of fishermen and loggers with what appeared to be a masonry tower being constructed on the outskirts. Being a good bit away from the city, the residents were usually pretty observant of outsiders, Otto figured. If anyone saw anything odd along the river, it would be them. As the two brought their boat up to one of the rickety docks, however, the group fishermen ashore remained silent, looking at the them with suspicious eyes.

" _Guten Tag_ ," Otto greeted warmly. "Could any of you take a moment to be interviewed? I'm investigating a missing persons case."

The three large men at the docks closest to them just stared blankly at them. One with a very large beard and scraggly hair simply chewed on something while looking at Otto silently. Astolfo shifted uncomfortably before stepping up.

"My friend here is just terribly worried about a friend of ours!" Astolfo said, slapping a hand on Otto's back. "He can be a bit dramatic at times."

"Right…" Otto said hesitantly. "We're looking for a young girl. She may have passed through here on a boat. You… gentlemen wouldn't happen to know anything, would you?"

After a few seconds of awkward silence, the bearded man finally said something. "Can't say I do."

"No out-of-towners like ourselves come through?"

The bearded man shrugged. Astolfo crossed his arms and began looking around at the village. The houses were in bad shape, and the docks look like they were barely supported. Boats lined the shoreline, many filled with piles of raw fish. The smell also left something to be desired.

"How about this?" Astolfo proposed. "There a place we can grab a bite to eat around here? We'll buy you guys some drinks and maybe that'll jog your memory, eh?"

The bearded man looked at his comrades, shrugged again, and then gestured towards a small tavern down the boardwalk before heading towards it himself. While the other two followed suit, Otto shot Astolfo a glance of admiration. _Good work,_ he thought. After a moment, however, his smile faded as he realized something.

"Hey, wait," he said to Astolfo. "That means I'm buying!"

"Well duh, silly," Astolfo responded with a pat on the back and a mischievous grin. "While you're at it get me one too, _partner_."

Otto's pink haired partner began walking towards the tavern with his hands up behind his head and a chuckle he failed to stifle. Otto sighed and shook his head before following with his hands in his pockets. _Well played…_

The tavern itself had a bit of rustic charm to it. Unfortunately, that charm seemed to be dimmed by the atmosphere of its residents. Almost immediately, Astolfo and Otto noticed the downtrodden look in the patrons' eyes. Working men and women sat despairingly around the bar, simply drinking and staring at their tables.

"Not a lively bunch here it, eh?" Astolfo said quietly to Otto and the bearded fisherman.

"No," Otto replied. "Seems the whole village is out of sorts."

"It was a lot better before that von Brandt brat took over," the fisherman bellowed as he plopped down on a bar stool, with his silent colleagues following suit to his left.

"The von Brandts?" Otto asked with a furrowed brow, him and Astolfo sitting to the right. "What do they want with this town?"

"Beats me," the fisherman said. "One day this young fellow, Lutz von Brandt shows up and runs for mayor, buys up all the land he could, and then taxes us to hell. Now he's building a goddamned castle tower out back."

A blonde bartender came by with three drinks for the regulars, and Otto and Astolfo both ordered as well. Otto signaled he was paying for the group by handing her a fistful of Euros.

"But that's not right!" Astolfo said as the bartender turned to fetch their drinks. "How the hell did he become Mayor if he's so unlikable?"

"We didn't have a choice," the fisherman said. "Those damned mages are so rich and influential, they all but ruined old Samuel, the old mayor. Drove the man to the point where he dropped out of the race. Plus, not like the provincial government gonna get involved - no one wants to upset the von Brandts. We're just a little village they can afford to sweep under the rug."

The bartender came over and delivered the drinks with a forced smile.

" _Danke_!" Astolfo said overenthusiastically. The woman giggled in response.

"You're welcome," she said with a slightly less forced smile.

The fisherman smiled as well. "Looks like you've got a lively friend there."

"That's my… partner," Otto said reluctantly.

Astolfo blissfully sipped his mixed drink with a straw, happily humming to himself.

"Regardless, that's the first smile we've seen here in awhile," the fisherman said. "Best to protect it, ya hear."

Otto raised a brow, not exactly sure what the man meant. He turned back to his scotch and began to drink for a moment in silence. After some time, he finally spoke up. "So… just so you know, I'm actually looking for a lost von Brandt child."

"Oh really now?" The fisherman said. "Ain't that some shit. One of them get lost in the woods playing wizard?"

"No," Otto said. "Kidnapped. Possibly by another mage."

"She's only twelve!" Astolfo piped up. "She's just a little girl."

"Wait a minute," the fisherman said. "You don't mean… Ezren? Little Ezren's been kidnapped?"

"You know her?" Otto asked.

"Somewhat. When her good-for-nothing cousin Samuel took over, she would visit the town and hear our pleas. Didn't always do much, but she would try her best to reason with the family on our behalf. Even when her maid advised against it, Little Ezren would roam around the docks, buy our goods and just talk to us like human beings. Probably the only decent von Brandt, I'd reckon."

Astolfo and Otto glanced at one another before Otto continued, "When was the last time she visited? Did you see anything out of the ordinary"

The fisherman shook his head. "Just the other day she came by, business as usual. Though… she had a different maid with her that time."

"Do you remember the exact day?" Otto raised an eyebrow. _She's been missing for over a week now,_ he thought to himself. _What the hell was she doing here recently?_

"Not really…" the fisherman said, scratching the back of his head. "Look, nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. It was a brief visit too."

"What about the maid?" Astolfo asked timidly. "You said she was different?"

The fisherman shrugged. "I… you know I can't really remember her face," he said, befuddled. "Sorry… I… oh man, my head." Setting down his drink, the fisherman began rubbing his temples. "I just got the worst headache, huh. I should probably stop drinkin'."

Astolfo's eyes narrowed. This scenario seemed strangely familiar. Obscuring memories of an identity. It was a tactic a rival servant employed during the Great Holy Grail War. Could a mere mage master this, however? Whatever the case, Astolfo suddenly got a chill up his spine at the idea of facing off another enemy of that caliber.

"That's okay," Otto said. "You've been very helpful, sir."

"Yes, thank you!" Astolfo said happily. "Go get some rest!"

The fisherman nodded and made his way towards the exit. The other two who accompanied him looked at each other and shrugged before following suit.

Otto and Astolfo sat in silence for a few moments, the bartender coming to refill their drinks. Otto began to raise a hand to wave her off, but Astolfo decided to stare him down with big, endearing puppy eyes.

"We're working…" Otto said.

"Pleeeeeeeease?" Astolfo whined. "We deserve it!"

The two locked eyes for a few seconds while the bartender awkwardly looked at both of them before proceeding. Otto eventually gave up and sighed.

"I supposed we did get our first lead," he said with a smile. "Cheers, _partner_."

"Yes!" Astolfo began to beam with happiness as the bartender refilled their drinks. "You're the best!"

The bartender giggled to herself as she headed back and left the two alone. The investigators spent a few minutes in silence - Otto analyzing their information so far and Astolfo humming to himself as he relaxed. Occasionally, Astolfo would ask Otto questions about himself. His favorite food, color, etc.

Time passed rapidly and they noticed it was getting late. Looking out the seaside window, the village seemed to almost transform at sundown. The light reflecting off of the clear waters of the Rhine River glinted off the rustic houses that were scattered around the shore.

"Hey!" Astolfo said, breaking the silence as he jumped out of his barstool. "Let's go for a walk."

Otto nodded in agreement before tossing a few extra euros as a tip to the waitress. It seems they had spent a few hours there after all.

Astolfo walked ahead along the dockside, his hands behind his head as he hummed to himself. Otto followed behind, his hands in his pockets as he looked out at the setting sun.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Astolfo said as he turned halfway to Otto.

The luminous rays traced every curve of Astolfo's feminine yet fit figure, highlighting every feature like a spotlight. His shadow was cast atop the backdrop of gentle waves that shined back, slowly crashing into the rocks along the shore. Otto was caught off guard by the joyous smile that glowed back at him in this moment.

While Astolfo never really seemed to know where he was going, or what he was doing… Otto admitted there was something majestic about his wild nature. Oddly enough, Astolfo's carefree attitude seemed almost antithetical to Otto's own stoic nature, and yet - Otto felt oddly comfortable around his new partner. If anything, his optimism was a refreshing change.

"Yo- I mean," Otto replied, stumbling on his words, looking away. "Yeah. Yeah it is."

Astolfo lowered his arms and took slow a step towards Otto, a smirk on his face.

"You know you don't have to call me an _it,_ " Astolfo said. "That's rude!"

"I was referring to the sunset," Otto said, crossing his arms and looking back at him.

"Mhmm..." Astolfo took another step closer, his eyes locking onto Otto's own. Eyes that refracted the light of the sun like pure amethyst. "Of course."

Otto cleared his throat and looked off at the sunset again. "It really is though. I'm glad we came out here."

"Yeah… me too."

There was a long pause as the two looked down the river Rhine. Both of them felt like the sounds of the rushing water was only getting louder - a deafening silence of anticipation. Suddenly, Otto felt his arm being grabbed. It was of course, Astolfo, clinging on to him without warning, almost swaying a bit.

"Astolfo…?"

"Just… lets just sit here a minute, okay?"

Otto's mouth fell slightly in shock, but he surrendered. The two of them had had a few drinks, and considering how they met, Otto figured he needed companionship now more than ever. He wasn't in the mood to let anyone down, after all.

"Okay," Otto said softly. He slowly sat down, bringing Astolfo with him. The two of them cast their legs out over the dockside, swinging just above the water. There was another long silence as Astolfo leaned on Otto's shoulder, grasping his arm with both of his own.

Between the alcohol and Astolfo's inherit irrationalism, his mind swirled with a mess of worry and a need to run away from that worry.

"Thank you for… keeping me around," Astolfo said. "I… I have to admit. I've lost a lot of people close to me and…. I… I just..."

Otto found himself a bit overwhelmed at this point. He wasn't really sure how to respond. He searched around for the words to say until they sort of just fell out of his mouth instinctively..

"When the investigation is over," Otto said. "We'll watch the sun set of River Rhine again, alright?"

Astolfo gripped Otto's arm a bit tighter before looking up at him with tear glazed eyes.

"Deal," he whimpered with a smile.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _ **~ Just a fair warning, if you're not into yaoi this chapter is pretty explicit (There will be more investigation and action in the future, don't worry). For everyone else, enjoy ;) also, just a huge thank you to those of you who left reviews and followed me already! I wasn't sure how this would be received. Hope you all like this one ^.^ ~**_

Arentina pulled her hood tighter around her head as they looked back on the town of Böllenwörth, dusk beginning to fall. Ezren's own cloak flowed in the wind as she looked back in a melancholic nostalgia.

"You think they will be okay?" Ezren said quietly.

"With your good-for-nothing cousin in charge… I don't know," Arentina replied, turning around. "But we have to keep moving."

"Arentina, do mages deserve to live, after all we've done?"

Arentina's mouth fell agape, though remained faced away from the little girl asking existential questions behind her.

"I don't know anything about that, little mage. All I know is I'll fight for my right to live, or die trying." As she began walking away, she stopped and glanced back at Ezren. "And honestly, so should you."

Ezren let out a sigh and followed Arentina reluctantly. The two followed an old path through the hills alongside the river. It would be a long trip, Arentina told her, and it already felt miserable to hike their way through the countryside. But it was the only way to avoid attention, and Ezren had agreed to keep quiet until they had reached their destination. It was an odd arrangement they had. Ezren's "captor" felt more like a big sister that she'd never had - grumpy and edgy, but still a sister nonetheless. Ironically, the woman who threatened her livelihood had already given her more guidance in life than her parents ever gave.

As the light quickly faded from the hillside, Arentina motioned to a small grove off the side of the path.

"We'll have to make camp here," she said. "Go grab some firewood."

Ezren complied with a nod and Arentina began unpacking some things from her backpack. Arentina spent some time teaching Ezren how to build a proper fire and light it. Eventually the two set up a small camp, eating snacks they had bought from the town and warming their hands by the flame.

"You think that investigator will find us?" Ezren piped up, chocolate in her mouth.

Arentina shook her head as she bit into her granola bar. "I covered my tracks. No one in the town should remember us clearly enough. That should give us some time."

Ezren stared at the fire in thought. There was something odd about the investigator and his companion. She didn't quite understand it but… they almost _glowed_. Were they mages? It was faint but… something seemed off with their mana - like they were both concealing something, even from one another. The pink haired one's aura didn't even make sense to Ezren… as if they were almost…

"Arentina," Ezren said standing up suddenly, her fists curled up. "I have an idea."

Arentina raised an eyebrow as her cheek was stuffed with granola. "I'm listening."

#####

As the light began to fade around them, Otto slowly stood up, holding Astolfo's hand to help him up as well. Astolfo seemed half asleep, stirring a bit as Otto got up.

"Astolfo we um, need to find a place to stay tonight."

"Mhmm…"

Otto let out a labored sigh. He hadn't planned on staying in Böllenwörth for as long as they did, but the investigation did give them reason to stay after all. It was too late to take a boat back home so the local inn would have to do. It was a small lodge that was attached to the tavern. It had the rustic appearance of a bed and breakfast, but it was simply a riverside motel with a handful of rooms at the end of the day. It would have to do.

As Otto helped corale a tired and tipsy Astolfo into the building, he waved at the blonde attendant who looked eerily similar to the waitress from the tavern. Sisters, he imagined - it was a small town after all.

"Need a room?" the attendant said with a smile.

"Uh," Otto said, glancing at Astolfo. "Two, please."

"Well," she said with a raised eyebrow, "I'm afraid we just have the one. The other rooms are already full tonight."

"Hmph," Otto sighed, digging out his wallet with one hand while his other still helping keep Astolfo up. "It can be helped I suppose…"

The attendant took the payment and handed Otto the key, which simply had the number "3" written on it. He counted maybe five rooms in view on the balcony above, the middle one being there's. Still, he couldn't help but feel like the attendant was conspiring against him.

"Just up the stairs and third door on the left," she said with a tired smile. "Enjoy your stay and if you want, breakfast is served six to ten in the morning."

"Thank you very much."

After some effort, Otto managed to open their room door and lay Astolfo down on the bed. It was a quaint room with hardwood floors and cross timber walls. It had a small oak dresser, a table, and two chairs in front of a window that overlooked the moonlit river. While there seemed to be a light fixture installed, there also was a single candle atop a nightstand next to the bed that currently lit the room.

The bed was fairly large and very inviting, but Otto hesitated. Astolfo looked like he would fall asleep at any time, if not already. He looked so peaceful in this state, Otto figured he shouldn't disturb him. When he began to walk away from the bed and towards one of the chairs, he felt a small hand grab his wrist.

"Don't go," Astolfo said softly.

"I'm just going across the room," Otto said. "You can have the bed tonight."

"We can... share…" Astolfo now locked onto Otto's rosy eyes with clarity.

"Is… that really appropriate?" Otto was caught off guard, his cheeks now running red hot, a sight Astolfo hadn't seen until now, eliciting a devious smile.

"No," Astolfo said pulling Otto down into the bed with surprising force. The two were suddenly face to face, their lips close enough that Otto could feel Astolfo breathe his words gently onto his own mouth. "But who cares?"

Time seemed to have stopped for both of them, with neither one of them advancing or retreating. _What am I doing?_ Was ringing in both their heads. For a few seconds, they simply just stared at one another. Eventually they both glanced at their hands - Otto's had been resting in Astolfo's after he was pulled in.

"Astolf-?"

In an instant, Astolfo made his move and had successfully landed his lips on Otto's. Their hands reflexively intertwined as the two kissed. Otto pulled back though, his eyes wide. His mouth opened to protest, but was once again stunned by Astolfo's beauty. The way the river-refracted moonlight danced across Astolfo's face filled Otto's mind with a barrage of curiosity. He felt conflicted in more ways than one.

"Wow, you really are defenseless, aren't you?" Astolfo said, followed by a closed eye giggle.

"I… wasn't really expecting that to be honest," Otto said, still facing Astolfo.

"Well of course," Astolfo said, putting his hands behind Otto's neck. "If you were that wouldn't be any fun, now would it?"

"I suppose. Hey, Astolfo?"

"Yes, Mr. Otto?" He asked with excited eyes.

"If you were just playing a character back when I found you, why do you still go by that name?"

Astolfo's eyes sunk and he quickly sat up with a whine.

"Aaaahhhhh. Why do you have to bring that up? I thought you were going to compliment me! That's how these sorta things go! Love stories don't have to make sense!"

"I'm… sorry. Uhm, your hair looks nice? Look i'm not great at this," Otto said sitting up. Otto looked visibly flustered, but not exactly backing away either. "You're really cute, and passionate about helping people. I like you, Astolfo. But I don't know anything about you."

Astolfo's lips parted and his cheeks ran red. He looked at the foot of the bed and frowned a bit in thought.

"I was hoping you'd just close your eyes and be happy," Astolfo said with a sigh. "Astolfo really is my True Name. I'm umm… well I'm the real one. You know, from the tales of Charlemagne."

Otto just stared silently for a solid 10 seconds before responding loudly, "Huh?" _What the hell have I gotten into?_

"Yeah, umm, it's a long story." Astolfo pulled his knees up to his chest and looked back at Astolfo with his head tilted. "You're a mage, right? I saw the books in your study. Either that or you have a fascination with them."

"Well, sort of… I'm not from any real magus family. I was adopted by one and he taught me a few things is all. That's also a long story I suppose."

"Hmm," Astolfo shot him an inquisitive look. "Well… are you familiar with Servants?"

"Sorta, yeah… the concept of it I guess. They're supposed to be manifestations of heroic spirits, preserved by some throne of heroes, right? But they're unheard of in modern day, the amount of mana needed to summon one... Totally impractical, so it wasn't something I looked into much. I was only taught stuff that I could use right away."

"Riiiiight, well… what if I told you I am actually a servant?"

"I'd have to tell you I don't believe you," Otto said with a sidewards glance. "Even if you weren't just messing with me, you'd have to have a master to summon you, along with an immense amount of mana. Heck, you'd be glowing like a christmas tree to me. That sort of thing could only happen with-"

"The Holy Grail, right?"

"Y- yes. How do you know all this?"

"You dummy, I told you. I'm the Servant Astolfo! Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne, Rider Class!" Astolfo was now on all fours, showing off a gleaming smile at Otto.

Otto raised a brow. He was trained to hunt mages. Servants would leave an even more significant mana footprint behind. He'd never seen one but, he figured even he would recognize an aura of that magnitude. Otto thought he sensed something faintly out of place… but for the most part, the person in front of him right now just seemed… normal. From a magical perspective. Plus he didn't expect the legendary hero of Astolfo to be so… well… _cute_.

"Wait, are you telling me there's a holy grail war going on?! And wouldn't a servant be mostly in spirit form? You wouldn't need sleep or food. You would be like a familiar."

"Well, there was one! I assure you I'm the real deal!" Astolfo said, sitting on his knees, suddenly frowning in thought. "I um, don't have a master anymore…. He's gone now. It was actually his last wish at the end that I… I…" Astolfo couldn't hold back the sudden sobs. _Not now. Don't think about this now! Damnit, why'd he have to ask…_ "It was his wish that I stay here and help humanity. The grail gave me a body… and made me human. Which is to be honest, is all I really wanted! He wanted me to... Live and be happy in his place. But… but… That idiot, Sieg. You know it's funny, I said that once to him. But you know… it's a lot harder said than done when he turns it around like that. I want to but, I don't know what to do, Otto. I never did but… but… I know that this world is worth protecting! So-"

Astolfo was so caught up with his teary eyed confession that he didn't notice Otto moving in for a quick and tight hug. It seemed when Otto finally made his choice, he moved swiftly. He simply held Astolfo in his arms for a few seconds. Astolfo returned the embrace and sobbed softly into his shoulder. Eventually, Otto leaned back and put his hand to Astolfo's chin, lifting it up. Their eyes locked, reflecting the mix of candle and moonlight. Astolfo could feel the heat rising from Otto's firm chest. The magi smiled at the paladin.

"I believe you," Otto said. "Not because of your story, but because of what your heart says. Your true colors… they're beautiful, Astolfo."

Otto rarely was convinced by people's stories. He was taught to always be suspicious. But… he couldn't help himself with Astolfo. He was good at reading people, and he could tell that Astolfo was genuinely a good person, and that was good enough for him. His hand moved to Astolfo's cheek, cupping it. Astolfo brought a hand to his and smiled back.

"Since when were you a charmer?" He said with a chuckle, wiping his tears away with his other hand.

"I can be once I make up my mind."

"Oh? And what conclusion have you got this time, Mr. Investigator?"

In another calculating move, Otto cradled the back of Astolfo's head with one, grabbed his waist with the other, and planted a firm kiss on Astolfo's lips. Their hearts both beat a hundred times faster in that moment. Astolfo closed his eyes and wrapped his hands around Otto's shoulders.

Astolfo loved chaos in a way. He loved things to be wild and people to be free. That's why when he saw such a stuffy man such as Otto let loose, he was left defenseless. The two were joined at the lip for awhile before taking a beat to look on one another again. The two couldn't help but to breath heavily as they looked at each other, still on their knees on the bed.

"You didn't really answer with words but… this works~" Astolfo said in a singsong voice.

Astolfo's tears were gone and were replaced by pure bliss in Otto's embrace. He began to hum softly as he wiggled Otto's jacket off. Otto took the hint and helped toss Astolfo's hoodie off, making Astolfo giggle with delight at Otto's touch. It was like he unleashed a flood gate of passion from this man. Contrary to their first impression, Otto felt a lot. Astolfo figured that the people who hold in their emotions the most actually have beautiful expressions hidden beneath the walls they build around their souls. He just needed a little push. The way they moved, the way they kissed - it really can say a lot on its own.

As things got more heated, Otto's hands began to drift to Astolfo's hips. Instinctively, he pulled Astolfo in closer. Astolfo let out a pleasurable gasp in response, and his lower body responded in kind. Otto could feel a firm pressure onto his own thigh from Astolfo's skirt. He opened his eyes and stopped kissing for a moment. Astolfo blushed and grinned.

"You uh... you know I'm a boy, right?" Astolfo said shyly.

"I had my suspicions," Otto said. "Just never knew for sure."

"Annnnnd, what will you do with that info?"

"Makes no difference really," Otto shrugged and kissed Astolfo again. "Never really had a preference anyways. So I how I feel doesn't change."

Astolfo's lips parted and went in for another kiss, pushing Otto onto the bed. He was partially worried Otto would have screamed like Jeanne did when she found out. Astolfo couldn't help but feel like fate truly did bring them together. He was perfect, Astolfo thought. _Absolutely perfect._

They only stopped kissing to remove articles of clothing, it seemed. After kicking off their shoes, Astolfo straddled Otto's hips and pulled off his crop top. Otto took the moment to begin unbuttoning his shirt, but Astolfo quickly moved with another kiss and helped undo each button slowly and methodically. Once he accomplished this, Astolfo began moving his kisses down Otto's cheek and onto his neck. Otto winced, from pleasure, at the slight grazing from Astolfo's fanged tooth. He could feel Astolfo's heart beat almost in sync with his own as their now bare chests pressed together.

Otto found himself running a hand through Astolfo's luscious hair. The gesture made astolfo stop for a moment and smile, nuzzling Otto's neck. While he couldn't see Astolfo's face, he smiled back, gently petting his pink haired partner's head. Astolfo reared back and put his hands behind Otto's head and kissed him a bit more firmly. He giggled as he could feel the heat rise from Otto's body everytime they kissed. As he began to rock his body in a gentle rhythm, he could feel something stirring in Otto's own loins this time.

"Hmmm…" Astolfo said deviously. He leaned into Otto's right ear, biting gently at it while he whispered. "Want me to show you what a cute little _Rider_ is capable of?"

"Heh," Otto let out in a heavy breath. Even in this state, he had to appreciate the play on words. "Be my guest."

"Sometimes, you're a little too polite," Astolfo said teasingly. He moved his mouth down to Otto's chest and began lightly kissing and licking, slowly moving downward. It was as if his mouth were painting a picture upon the canvas of Otto's skin. In between strokes, he continued his thought. "I know... there's something... a little more naughty… to you... and I'm… gonna find it..."

Otto was having trouble holding back at this point. Astolfo was right. Ever since they first met, there was something… instinctive, primitive - almost bestial that he was keeping to himself. His whole life, he kept these sort of things bottled up. He wasn't sure why, but Astolfo seemed to be the key to unlock those feelings. For once, it felt okay for him to just… _let go_. Now he couldn't deny it - he wanted Astolfo. He wanted _all_ of Astolfo. He wanted to explore this anomaly to its fullest. He wanted to feed a never ending curiosity. That was something they actually had in common. They were adventurous. They always wanted to experience something more. They were… very _curious._

Astolfo began to unbutton and unzip Otto's slacks, pulling them off slowly and kissing Otto's midriff. Otto looked up at the ceiling as his breathing got deeper and deeper. He felt Astolfo drift ever more downward, discovering what he was looking for - first with his hand and then his mouth. Otto grabbed ahold of the headboard as Astolfo unleashed himself on Otto. He could feel his pulse in head, his heart… and in…

"Astolfo…" he gasped, grabbing Astolfo's head and gently pulling at his hair. _He's too good at this…_

Astolfo slowed his rhythmic pace, meticulously lifting his lips off of Otto's member. He licked them and began to slowly stand up on the bed, pulling down his purple skirt and then black leggings while he shook his hips. All the while, Otto was gripping at the sides of the bed with anticipation. Astolfo, now bare, threw his remaining clothes away from the bed and straddled Otto's hips. He leaned in to kiss Otto tenderly, biting at his lower lip ever so slightly. Otto found himself leaning in for more, but Astolfo coyly leaned back, lifting his behind. As Astolfo began to ease himself down onto Otto's rod, Otto could feel Astolfo's entryway tense and then loosen, wet with anticipation.

"Otto…" Astolfo moaned. _Ever since I first saw you,_ he thought. _I knew this is what I wanted._

The two let out deep breaths as Otto slid into Astolfo. The pink haired knight began to raise and lower himself onto Otto, gradually increasing the cadence. Astolfo's own member now lay on Otto's stomach, growing with every downward thrust. He placed his hands on Otto's chest and gently bounced his body, making their moans more pronounced alongside the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Both of their cheeks now burned red, their eyes locked while they continued to thrust into each other. Otto could feel the sweat from Astolfo's face drip onto his chest.

"You... you want to go deeper?" Astolfo asked excitedly in between breaths.

Otto, mouth agape, simply nodded. Astolfo complied with a plunge. The two both gritted their teeth before letting out loud gasps. Astolfo's pace began to quicken, rocking the whole bed. Now, he thought, he was really fulfilling his class description. He rode his steed into pure bliss. Otto began using one hand to assist, grasping Astolfo's buttocks and guiding him. With the other hand, Otto grabbed ahold of Astolfo's own rod and stroked it in rhythm to Astolfo's movements.

"Otto," Astolfo said, exasperated, "You don't have to- to…. Otto! Okay, okay, don't stop!"

Astolfo all but lost complete control. If there was any reason left in this night, it all but evaporated at the hands of the magus investigator, Otto. He began nearly slamming his thighs against Otto's own as he came down. He could feel his insides contract and release, over and over again, as Otto hit just all the right spots. He loudly moaned as he got closer and closer. They were both pretty sure the other tenants heard, if not the assistant out front. They didn't even care in the moment.

Otto gripped Astolfo even tighter as he felt it coming. Both of their eyes widened, and then began to flutter, their bodies shivering in ecstasy. Astolfo felt Otto filling him up just as he emptied himself onto Otto's chest. Otto's hand moved to Astolfo's hips, and Astolfo placed both hands on Astolfo's face. Once they recovered, Astolfo dismounted and they immediately leaned in to kiss and hold one another. After a moment passed, they simply looked at each other, heavily panting. Before long, they both began to laugh. Why, they weren't sure - they just did.

Otto placed a hand tenderly on Astolfo's cheek, and Astolfo leaned into the hand with closed eyes. A small tear began to form in Astolfo's eye, and it dripped down onto Otto's wrist.

"Astolfo," he asked. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah," Astolfo said. "In fact I'm great. I'm… happy, Otto. You make me happy."

Astolfo displayed the biggest smile Otto had ever seen, and in turn made him mirror it. Astolfo slid to the side and cuddled up next to Otto, laying his head on Otto's shoulder. Otto put an arm around Astolfo and kissed his forehead. He let out a relaxing sigh of contentment.

"Me too."

"Can we… stay like this?"

"Of course."

Astolfo giggled and kissed Otto one more time before turning away and cuddling up as the little spoon.

"Goodnight… Otto."

"Goodnight, Astolfo."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **~~Quick note, I know some of you were surprised by the romance happening so quickly and I wanted to address that. I wanted to avoid the usual trope of two characters with a ton of chemistry dancing around the issue for so long, plus this seems more like Astolfo's style. I wanted to write a story about Astolfo adventuring with a lover, and not quite a 'potential lover'. So that's what this story aims to be: a romantic adventure about Otto and Astolfo as a powerful couple and see where it goes. Anyways, hope you guys like this one!~~**

The sunrise bounced off the river and into their rooms the following morning, waking Otto earlier than he usually wanted to. This time, though, he was okay with being an early riser. His eyes fluttered open before rubbing them. With a yawn, he stretched his arms upward while he sat up, feeling some resistance at his hip. Looking over to his side, he saw Astolfo, still fast asleep, lazily clinging onto Otto's side. _Must of turned around in his sleep,_ Otto thought. He smiled and ran a hand through Astolfo's hair, gently caressing it.

Astolfo looked so peaceful and precious, Otto didn't like the idea of disturbing him or leaving him. So he sat there for awhile, stroking Astolfo's hair and relaxed. It was almost meditative, he felt. His body and mind felt clear and focused. He was more than ready to tackle the Ezren case now. But first, he had to get his partner ready.

"Ot...to," Astolfo murmured as he began to wiggle his toes. "Is it… time… to get up?"

"Yes, but… take your time."

"Thanks," Astolfo said with half-closed eyes while nuzzling Otto's chest. "You're comfy."

Otto chuckled and continued to stroke Astolfo's hair a few more times.

"If you keep doing that," Astolfo said, his eyes beginning to pry open. "I'm not getting up."

His first view that morning was Otto's tranquil smile, bedraggled white hair and his warm rosy eyes that looked back.

"Good morning," Otto said in way that Astolfo thought was a little too cute for his usual demeanor.

Astolfo couldn't help but giggle and work his way up Otto's chiseled chest and to his face. He wrapped his arms around Otto's neck and kissed him.

"Good morning~" Astolfo sang. "So, what's the plan today, partner?"

"We have a person of interest to interview. But first," Otto said, wrapping his arms around Astolfo. "Let's get breakfast."

#####

The gaudy estate in front of them belonged to none other than Lutz von Brandt, next in line to lead the family after Ezren. While it appeared to be a genuine stone and mortar structure, it still felt like a cheap imitation of a miniature medieval castle. The outrageous amount of banners and coat of arms of the von Brandt family dotted the manor's perimeter wall as well as the gateway. The family's symbol was a black key atop a red and orange striped background with the words " _Per sacrificium, verum est inventus_ " inscribed in small print along the top.

Astolfo and Otto walked up to the wrought iron gate and stone wall that lined the property by the road into Böllenwörth. Otto figured they should start with questioning the family itself. So far, he had only communicated with the parents. But, seeing how Ezren was last seen in this village a few days ago, her cousin as the de facto magistrate had some explaining to do. For a minute, he wondered if she had simply returned home. Nevertheless, he had to proceed.

"So this is the place?" Astolfo asked, clearly unimpressed.

"It would seem so," Otto asked.

"So what do we know about this guy?"

"For one he stands to gain from Ezren's disappearance," Otto said with a glance. "He also inherited his father's estate at a very young age. A spoiled teenager suddenly running a branch of a major magus family. The parents were allegedly killed in an alchemical accident, which is still under investigation by the Mage's Association for suspected sabotage. Other than that, we just have the public opinion to go off of."

"And what's that?"

"Well, it's not great." Otto leaned over to push the doorbell at the gate.

"Yes, hello," a labored male voice leaked from the speaking crystal affixed to the archway above. "What business do you have here?"

"I'm here on behalf of Patriarch Edmund von Brandt," Otto said firmly while reaching into his coat and pulling out a small scroll. Unfurling it, there was the faintly glowing red seal of the von Brandts on the top of it. Writs like these were necessary for independent mages to prove their employers. He held it up to the crystal watching them. "My associate and I would like to speak to Mr. Lutz."

There was a very long, awkward pause of static from the speaker as Astolfo and Otto looked back at each other. Finally the crystal crackled to life again.

"Very well."

The iron gate unlocked with a click and slowly creaked open of its own accord. Otto and Astolfo nodded at one another and walked in, side-by-side. There was a fairly long paved gray stone walkway towards the mansion's doors, flanked by lavish shrubbery and flowers. The courtyard itself was deceivingly beautiful, Astolfo thought.

Although they were working, Otto had trouble keeping his eyes from wandering towards Astolfo. His charm was lingering and potent. Otto did notice, however, Astolfo actually seemed a bit more serious this time. The pink haired Servant decided to wear something a bit more formal for their meeting: black slacks and a black buttoned up shirt with a red tie - an outfit which he took from Otto's wardrobe, of course. Fortunately, they wore similar sizes. Otto wore a white buttoned up with no tie and his usual gray overcoat. The breeze carried from the river made Otto's hair flow behind him like a sail. Astolfo turned his gaze as they walked and caught Otto staring. In reflex he blushed and giggled.

"Jeez, whatcha looking at?" Astolfo teased. "No messing around on the job! Your words!"

"I just think you look nice all dressed up," Otto said with a smile. "You look like a real professional."

"W- well…" Astolfo said, suddenly flustered, "you asked me to take this seriously, is all! If this is how we help find Ezren, then I'll do it."

"I'm just complimenting you," Otto said, chuckling. "You look stunning _._ "

Astolfo couldn't keep his face from turning red as the roses that grew around them. Otto was always confidently straightforward with his thoughts and compliments, but now Astolfo was sure he always meant it. He still was getting used to being with a guy quite like this investigator.

"Yeah well," Astolfo mumbled, looking away. "You're.. too damn charming… as always."

The two tried to quickly collect themselves as they reached their destination. Once they arrived at the oak doors of the mansion, one of them opened, revealing an elderly butler who bowed to the two of them before gesturing inside. The two obliged and a strange sensation came over Otto. He couldn't quite identify it, but something felt off. While the estate was fairly large, it looked like a massive citadel from the inside. Bigger than even the Clock Tower. The walls of the atrium stretched impossibly high, and corridors into the wings of the manor seemed to go on forever. _Is this just really good architecture?_ In front of them was a pair of staircases that reached upward, mirroring each other as they climbed to the floors above. The light from the many windows seemed to only partially get through.

"Whoa," Astolfo said. "This place is huge! Just the one guy lives here?"

"One guy and his servants. Say, Mr..." Otto turned to view the butler, but when he did, there was no one there. _Seriously?_ The two visitors thought.

"Otto," Astolfo said, furrowing his brow. "I don't like this."

"Me either." Otto slowly reached inside his coat before shouting, "Mr. Lutz? Mr. Lutz, I need to speak with you."

Aside from Otto's echos, a long string of silence followed. He pulled a Beretta from his coat and brought it to his side and started walking down the eastern corridor.

"Y- you just carry around a gun all the time?" Astolfo shouted. "I thought you were a mage?"

"Technically," Otto responded. "I'm a mage hunter. It's the art of using a mix of conventional means and magecraft to counter other mages specifically."

"You.. hunt them?" Astolfo said, sounding a little dejected. Nevertheless, he followed Otto in his search.

"Well, not anymore. Turns out, mage hunters are pretty good at other things too. I took contracts from the Mage's Association and individual families to solve other magecraft related issues. Usually it was hunting down a dangerous familiar that got loose, or search and rescue missions when an experiment went wrong, or just regular old freelance work for normal folks. That seemed more appealing to me. I'd rather help people than hunt them."

"Good. That sounds more like you," Astolfo said with a small sigh of relief. "But you still carry a gun all the time?"

"And you aren't prepared to defend yourself as a servant?" Otto asked.

"Hmmpf," Astolfo huffed before materializing his steel and golden sword, then casually resting it on his shoulder. "It'll cost me some mana but, of course. You just better treat me to dinner tonight! I'll need the energy!"

"Deal," Otto agreed.

The two investigators walked down the hallway for what seemed like an eternity. Again and again they would pass pairs of suits of armor, lavish decorations, and eerie family paintings all lit mainly by sickly cyan crystals that hung like chandeliers in iron fixtures above. Still, no sign of life. Otto was hoping to find a kitchen or dining room, figuring the young lord would be eating breakfast at this hour. Out of necessary curiosity, Astolfo opened a random door and peered inside. Instead of a room, he found another impossibly long corridor.

"Hmm…" Astolfo said. "How big is this place?"

Otto stopped and stared at the door Astolfo opened with a worried look. _Wait a second._ He quickly began opening other doors. Each one had another identical hallway that seemed to stretch into infinity.

"This place," he muttered, "is an illusion."

"Otto!" Astolfo shouted.

Otto's eyes grew wide as he felt a loud metal clang hit the ground behind him. He turned to see one of the suits of armor towering above him. With one elegant swing, Astolfo leaped into the air and severed the helmet from the body. The pink and black knight smiled smugly. _No one touches my Otto but me!_

However, the headless suit simply raised its metal arm upward, mace in hand and began to bring it down towards Otto. With a roll, Otto dodged the blow and, still on the ground, raised his handgun at the suit's center of mass.

"Geiststreik!" He chanted, using one hand to cast an enhancement on his weapon and the other to squeeze the trigger. The suit seemed unable to see or hear it coming. A light blue glow came from the Beretta as it fired a round squarely into the armor. Astolfo looked in awe as an afterimage of the bullet continued through the back of the suit of armor. It visibly recoiled, as if it actually felt the pain of the magical bullet. Astolfo took advantage of this and planted his foot right into where a human's ribs would go, kicking it into the wall to the side before crumpling into an inanimate heap. Otto's eyebrows raised, impressed with the raw power of a servant, even if bound in corporeal form.

"Looks like we make a good team in more than one way," Astolfo said, brandishing his fanged smile and winking. He reached how his hand and helped Otto up to his feet. "You'd make a good Master, eh."

"I'll settle with being partners," Otto said before walking up to the suit. He reached out a hand and drew several runes in the air next to it. A blue circle enveloped the suit and spun rapidly. "Well, good news is _this_ wasn't an illusion."

"That's good?! Also, that implies there's bad news," Astolfo said, securing his scabbard on his belt and sheathing the blade.

"Well, the bad news is it doesn't… quite behave like a familiar either. Geiststreik should have severed any weak spiritual connection to the material. It also doesn't act like a golem, which don't feel pain. I'm not sure…"

Several more loud, metallic clunks rang behind the two as another suit animated and quickly ran towards them, rearing its gauntleted fist back. Astolfo grabbed his blade and blocked the blow with the blunt side of the sword before it could connect with Otto, albeit with considerable force. The pink and black knight bared his teeth with a grunt, struggling to hold back the iron beast.

Otto slowed his breathing and locked onto the helmet. He noticed a faint glow of mana beneath the faceguard. He traced that signature down… down throughout the suit and noticed a figure akin to a skeleton made of it.

"Geist," he raised the Beretta squarely at the helmet, "streik!"

A round whizzed above Astolfo, prompting a yelp, but successfully went into the helmet's 'eyes.' It withdrew from Astolfo, grasping at its own face in obvious pain. It began swinging its arms wildly to no avail, unable to see its opponent.

"The legs!" Otto shouted. "Go for the legs!"

"Got it!"

In a burst of speed, Astolfo ran and slid past the animated object, slicing his sword right into its kneecaps. The metallic beast quickly lost its bearing and fell under its own weight. Otto ran up to deliver the killing blow, but saw the pieces of armor quickly fall from one another. He took another deep breath and blinked. He could see that faint, sickly cyan light, ever so faint, leave the suit and launch itself down the hall, back towards the atrium. Otto swiftly began to pursue.

"Hey," Astolfo shouted before following suit. "Hey, wait up!"

Otto lost the source of the light, but found himself back in the Atrium much quicker than he figured he would. What just took a few seconds to travel took several minutes back in the other direction. He was quickly understanding the reality of this place wasn't what it appeared to be. After a moment of thought, Astolfo came in and caught his breath. After taking a beat, he too noticed how odd it was that they were back in the atrium so quickly.

"What the…" Astolfo said. "What is with this place?"

Otto rubbed his chin for a few moments before walking up to the exit. Opening the door they had came through revealed a recursive sight: they could see the windows above them, bordered by the railing of a balcony. Otto took a step through the door and suddenly was a few stories above Astolfo on the upper levels of the atrium, leaning over the same railing and waving.

"Ooookay," Astolfo said, eyes wide, "this is really weird."

With some hesitation, he slowly put a foot through the door. Upon seeing Otto's face on the other side, Astolfo followed through. He gingerly walked up to the railing next to Otto and looked down. They were indeed, several stories higher than the atrium ground level. The sensation was strange, even to Astolfo.

"What.. what is this?" Astolfo asked. "How did you know that would work?"

"I didn't," Otto said flatly. "But, I did know those hallways were endless. I would also bet money on those stairs below being endless staircases as well. A pretty classic illusion. I figured there would be the trope of the way we came being the way forward and all that. So I tried to leave."

"How do… illusions work, Otto?" Astolfo asked, scratching the back of his head. "I get they're not real but, they seem pretty real."

"Well there's a few different kinds. It could be a simple pseudo-phantasm or a reality marble or... or... " Otto trailed off, lost in thought.

"Or what?"

"We'll find out for sure soon," Otto said, his eyes suddenly aflame with conviction before turning and quickly marching up the stairs.

Astolfo was taken slightly aback, too much to respond timely. He was slightly afraid but, also felt a little hot under the collar at sudden Otto's intensity. He decided to keep quiet and follow his gray hunter. He had no reason not to trust his instincts thus far.

Otto could sense it again. His prey was close. No… the suspect was close. He had to remember to contain himself. He had to hold himself back and remember his mission. Once again, there was a metal clanging in the distance. Two swords from a coat of arms began flying towards Otto. Astolfo once again jumped in and intervened, parrying their strikes before they could touch Otto.

"Be more careful!" Astolfo whined. "These things are everywhere!"

One veered away continuing towards Otto, who ducked out of the way. Jumping backwards, he looked around at his surroundings. Astolfo was occupied with one phantom blade. The other was fixated on himself and he would not have time to get away. Otto debated whether he could hit such a small target that moved independently of a body with his firearm, but then realized the swift retribution that would follow if he missed. He had only one choice and one chance it seemed. He closed his eyes, remembered the chant, and took another breath…

"Otto!" Astolfo shouted after another loud clanging of blades. "I can hold this thing off but I don't know how to stop it!" Astolfo's longsword clashed with the von Brandt saber with such speed, sparks began to fly. "Otto how are you holding up?" Astolfo's heart began to race. _Not again. Not again!_ "Otto, talk to me!"

"I'm fine," Otto said calmly.

Astolfo turned and saw Otto gripping onto the second phantom sword tightly by the handle. It seemed to fight back against Otto's grip, but he stood fast as his arm shook against violently.

"Ot...to…?" Astolfo asked. Even he, as a servant, was impressed. "How the hell did you catch that thing?!"

Otto seemed to move in quick bursts of speed. Much faster than any human ought to move, he figured. The gray hunter swung his arm with all his force and launched the sword into the other one, knocking them both down towards the ground floor below. Astolfo looked over the railing and watched them fall, followed by a loud echo as they hit the bottom. He heard Otto mumble something under his breath and turned around with an inquisitive look.

"Let's go!" Otto said more clearly. "C'mon."

The two hurried up the stairs to the top level, which unveiled a large arched door. Otto ran up to it and tugged on the handle, but to no avail. He could already sense a thaumaturgical seal on the door that reinforced it. He attempted to slam his body into it several times before Astolfo walked up and placed a hand on Otto's shoulder.

"I've think got this one," Astolfo said. "You've got any magic resistance spells?"

"I've got an old rune that might work."

"That'll have to do, you better get started!"

Heavy footsteps could be heard from the stairs below. Something was coming. Otto wasn't quite sure what Astolfo had in mind, but he had to trust him. Astolfo quickly took a defensive stance towards the stairs while Otto began carving a primeval rune into the wood floor below. Runes were barely used in modern magecraft, but Otto had found them to be useful tools for specialists such as himself. It was an ancient scandinavian rune of protection. _Should do the trick,_ he figured. He wasn't quite sure its power as he rarely had to use it, but it would have to work.

The newest challenger crested the top of the stairs. It was an amalgamation of multiple suits of armor and debris, making its size much larger. The two sabers had replaced its hands. The mismatch of helmets and pauldrons along the top and torso made it look particularly upsetting. The behemoth hulked forward, dragging its misshapen metallic body towards Astolfo. The pink and black knight gritted his teeth before lunging forward, just trying to keep it at bay. The dual blades came down towards Astolfo, but he raised his blade up to block it just in time. Feigning an offensive, Astolfo would continue to provoke the beast and then quickly switch to a defensive stance. The sounds of their swords clanging echoed throughout the sickly cyan tower.

Otto finished the intricate carvings into the wood and proceeded to pull the necessary material components he needed to finish the ritual. It was a lengthy process, but it was finally done.

"Skydd," Otto uttered. The runic circle began to glow a dark blue, reaching upwards from its circumference. "It's ready."

"Perfect," Astolfo said with some strain as he blocked another blow. "Wanna switch things up for a sec?"

"Allow me," Otto said as he pulled out a handgun from the other side of his coat. This time it was an HK45, a modern german marvel of stopping power. As soon as Astolfo leaped backwards, Otto let a round fly into the amalgamations' center of mass. The heavy round made even this behemoth stagger for a second, but still trudged forward. Astolfo jumped into the circle of protection, put his back to Otto's and pulled out a small black horn.

"Geiststreik!" Otto fired a spiritual round into the beast's kneecap, tearing through the mana stream that animated it, bringing it to a halt once again.

"Keep your back touching mine and plug your ears!" Astolfo shouted.

Suddenly, the two of them began to be enveloped by golden, glowing particles. Astolfo concentrated and began to conjure a large black horn that wrapped itself around them. Otto quickly covered his ears and braced himself. _This must be..._

" _La Black Luna_!" Astolfo yelled before placing his lips on the horn and blowing with all his might.

… _a noble phantasm!_

The horn boomed throughout the mansion, radiating a sonic wave that tore off the railing from the balcony they stood on, as well as shattering the windows that lined the tower. The metallic beast struggled to keep itself standing, putting both arms up to try and brace itself, but to no avail. The collection of armor and sabers quickly was torn asunder and began to fly off the balcony and fall several stories to the bottom, echoing several loud bangs that accompanied Astolfo's chaotic horn. More importantly, the sheer power of the brass instrument blasted down the double doors into the chamber forward, destroying both the physical barricade and the magical seal.

Between the runic protection and by being one with Astolfo during the ordeal, Otto was spared severe damage. His ears were, however, were still ringing quite a bit. As the horn began to dissipate in a majestic shimmering cloud of spiritrons, Otto and Astolfo slowly turned to face one another, their bodies still touching. They instinctively smiled at the sight of one another being okay and grabbed each other's hands.

"We did it!" Astolfo shouted, visibly excited.

"That we did," Otto said. "That was… amazing. But, we're not quite done yet."

Astolfo nodded and let go of Otto. The two walked into the chamber side-by-side, armed and ready for whatever would come next. The next chamber was dimly lit by more of the sickly cyan crystals as well as various concoctions and alchemical devices that lined the side of the hall. It appeared to be some sort of alchemy lab, although it wasn't very well maintained. Discarded books and various ritual circles dotted the hardwood floors. What was particularly grotesque was what appeared to be various brains in jars atop a shelf in the back. Some were from various creatures, others appeared to be human. Several tomes depicting the study of magic circuits and their interaction with the mind were laid bare atop a desk under the shelf.

"What… what is all this?" Astolfo asked, clearly disgusted.

"A laboratory," Otto said.

Before he could elaborate further, the two heard rustling behind a door nearby. The two nodded and approached the door from both sides. Astolfo's sword was at the ready and Otto had his sidearm raised in one hand and another on the doorknob. Oddly enough, this one was unlocked. Creaking it open, the door revealed a lone, young man curled up on the ground next to an array of barrels. He was grasping his head and breathing heavily. The man had scraggly long brown hair, a bit of chin stubble, and vibrant amber eyes that seemed to constantly moving. His red tunic was ragged and torn.

The man sat up in a panic as he heard the door open. In an odd fashion, he looked in several directions before looking at them and squinting. Upon realizing they were right in front of him, the man scooted backwards towards the wall behind him, panting heavily and sweating profusely.

"No, no, no!" He shouted. "You're here to execute me right? You're from the Mage's Association! I told them, again, again and AGAIN. I had nothing to do with my parents' deaths. It was an accident I swear! It had to be! I was studying at the Atlas Institute at the time, there was no way I could… I could… It's not my fault, okay?!"

"Whoa, whoa," Otto said, holstering his pistol and raising his hands up. "We're not here to hurt you. This is some sort of misunderstanding. You must be Lutz von Brandt, correct?"


	6. Chapter 5

**~~~Before we get started, I'd like to apologize for my sudden silent hiatus. A lot has changed in my personal life recently, mostly good things, but it's been a lot of time and stress that forced me to put my writing on hold for awhile. I didn't say anything because I figured I would come back soon, and then well... weeks turned into months and here we are. Good news is I'm back now! I want to thank everyone who kept sending me reviews, emails and messages asking for updates. It honestly gave me the motivation to pick this story back up and see it through. Now, without further ado, here's our two favorite and best bois, back at it again. ;)~~~**

Chapter 5

"No, no, no, no," the man repeated, his eyes darting around the room wildly. "I mean… yes! That's my name. But you're an 'investigator' right? That's just… a fancy way of saying... You… you're here to kill me!"

"If we were," Astolfo said as he sheathed his sword and crossing his arms with a smirk, "we would have done it already."

"Your uncle sent me, Lutz," Otto said. "I'm on your family's side, okay?"

"My uncle!" Lutz shouted. "Oh, so now he believes the conspiracies! He sent you to kill me! I'm an obstacle! I'm a threat to their precious daughter's status, right? My own cousin! They think me a traitor! A heretic. Blasphemer. They think I… I don't have what it takes to carry on our family name!"

"Actually," Astolfo said calmly, trying to calm Lutz down, "we're trying to find your cousin. She's missing, Lutz."

"Ez… Ezren?" Lutz blinked rapidly, slowly standing up from the ground. His back was still firmly against the wall, however. "Ezren is missing?"

Otto and Astolfo glanced at each other. Lutz was in a horrid state. He seemed to have little notion of what was happening outside his heavily fortified manor. However, with the air of insanity, illusions and mind interference, Otto couldn't be so sure.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Otto asked flatly, his eyes locking onto Lutz's.

"I… I… I don't know," Lutz responded. "It's been a few months I suppose. She would visit every so often. It was always brief, I think her parents wanted us to talk more… She was never really interested in my work, though. She always… pandered to those peasants outside… she didn't understand the magnitude of my work!"

"She was here only a few days ago," Otto said more firmly. His brow furrowed a bit and he took a step forward. "I find it hard to believe you didn't notice her in your own town so recently."

"Wait! Wait!" Lutz shouted, putting his hands out, halting Otto's advance. "I swear! I haven't seen her in months! I… I have surveillance, okay? I can see… I can see the whole town at once! I would have seen her, damnit!"

"How do you manage that?" Otto asked, intrigued. An eccentric mage wouldn't be so quick to give up their secrets, but Otto had ways of applying pressure. And he made that notion clear in his posture.

"By.. by mind partitioning! I can… I can divide my senses and link them to several crystals at once I have throughout the town. I can see, hear, even smell through them all at once! It… it's something the von Brandts are naturally talented at! We're known as alchemists but our true specialty is manipulating the human mind!"

"So these tricks in your manor… they're mind interference," Otto interrupted. "You don't use magecraft to summon illusions, but to actually modify a person's mind and bend their perception. It's _sick_."

Lutz stared dumbfoundedly at Otto, as if he was speaking another language. The gray hunter walked deliberately towards the mage, and in one fell swoop, grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to his feet against the wall. Lutz let out a yelp, and his eyes began to dart wildly in different directions, each eye independently and blank.

"You've affected this whole village, haven't you?" Otto said flatly, gripping tighter. "You're not afraid of them because you can just wave your hand and change their reality. You're trying to play god with their lives, aren't you, mage?"

Astolfo's mouth went agape. He'd never seen Otto like this before. He was almost _seething_ with anger. Astolfo's attention was diverted to behind them. It seemed like the pieces of armor they defeated were rumbling around, as if they were trying to animate but failing - metal armor fumbling with telekinetic panic.

"I… I… I just…" the young mage stuttered. He was so terrified he couldn't even talk. "I just wanted to prove myself ok! Ezren and her parents are the only family I have… I just wanted to show them… oh god… you're gonna kill me aren't you! I don't want to die!"

Otto's eyes drifted away, and he let go, letting the man slink to the floor. Astolfo could hear the metallic clinging in the distance stop once again, an echo filling the halls followed by stagnant silence. Otto took a step back, more collected, next to Astolfo.

"You've already punished yourself, kid," Otto said with a sigh. "At the rate you're going, your mind with fracture, and you will lose any sense of yourself. Mind partitioning is dangerous magecraft - with any luck, you might not become a babbling vegetable by the time you're 30 if you stop now. Or at the very least, limit your splits. Just two or three crystals _at most_. And abandon the golem transference for at least a few more years. You're not ready. And other people are out of the question."

Lutz was now on all fours, shaking with terror. He looked up with Otto with a confused look. Was he giving… advice? He slowly began to get up, as Otto turned away and began to walk away, Astolfo standing there in confusion. Lutz regained his senses and tried to speak up.

"Th-th-there was a boat crash," Lutz said suddenly. "Across the river. I don't know who… I just know… someone… someone was there the other night. Someone who didn't want to be found, maybe."

Astolfo smiled and turned to Otto. The hunter glanced over his shoulder and nodded.

"Thanks, Mr. Lutz!" Astolfo shouted, cheerful things ended peacefully. "Um… good luck?"

"Astolfo," Otto said, walking towards the exit, "let's go."

"R-right!" He waved back at Lutz as he ran up next to Otto. "Are you, alright?"

"I'm fine," he said before looking back at Astolfo, who was staring daggers at him.

"You're not fine," the pink knight refuted, brows furrowed.

"We'll talk about it later," he said. "We've got a lead now, Ezren could be out there."

"Right," Astolfo agreed. "Later, though. Over dinner!"

"Deal."

#####

Otto knelt over the wreckage of the small speed boat. There was no doubting what Lutz had told them, this was in fact very recent and mostly undisturbed. What was strange to Otto was _how_ the boat crashed. He hadn't remembered any sort of storm or rough waters the past two days. It was dark, sure, but was the assailant that incompetent? _No_ , he thought. It didn't make sense. Upon closer inspection, Otto noticed several faint scorch marks on the back of the boat where the engine ought to be - which was missing.

" _Spur, Ein,_ " Otto muttered, reaching out towards the scorch marks.

And there it was - trace amounts of mana crystal. He gently touched the blackened boat side and brought his finger up, showing small, red particles. _They were in a hurry._ Mana crystals were a fairly common conduit for mages to cast from, focusing their energy through them generally amplified their power. What was uncommon in this case, was the accuracy in which they were used. Destructive magic cast through a crystal almost always ends up in a chaotic explosion. Was this really the same person who fought off the police with bullet-like precision and power? The marks were too similar, and the timing too coincidental, however.

"Our captor is definitely a mage," Otto said aloud. "A dangerous one, at that."

"Can't say I'm surprised… Hey, hey ,hey! Hey Otto, look over here!"

Astolfo began to trace two sets of footprints in the mud with his finger. One smaller and the other larger, side by side. Otto and Astolfo nodded at each other with determination and began to track the prints. They led them parallel down the river and towards a bridge straight back into the town. After the tracks went from mud, then to dirt, then to wood, and then to cobblestone, they were gone. Astolfo and Otto stood atop the old bridge and both let out a sigh.

"They lead back…" Otto said.

"... to town." Astolfo finished.

They stood in silence for a moment as the wind blew quietly around them. Otto knew they were still a few steps behind, but he had hoped to find something substantial to quicken their search. They had to catch up, quickly. The issue was, all the information they were getting was circumstantial - they could confirm the captor had arrived to town two days ago. Most unsettling was that they were a mage with some dangerous resources at hand. This was all helpful, but Otto couldn't help but feel they had hit a dead end once again. All information leads to them going to this town, but there's not a single trace of them or anyone who remembers seeing them. He couldn't help but feel there was something they were missing.

"Hey," Astolfo said softly, raising a hand up to Otto's cheek and turning it, "let's grab a dinner and get some rest. Eh, partner?"

"We're so close though," Otto quickly said, still lost in thought. "We need to find them." His mind was racing, trying to parse everything they had learned, trying to figure it all out. It took him a beat to notice Astolfo's sad, tired, smile. Using his powers, especially a noble phantasm, really took it out of him. He couldn't just recover mana in spirit form, he had to eat and rest. This was the price of incarnation.

"We got some clues, right?" Astolfo said. "Rest. If you focus too hard on the tree, you won't see the forest… or something like that, right? Look at them in the morning with fresh eyes."

Otto opened his mouth to say something in protest, but those purple eyes and that smile stopped him in his tracks. He was once again stunned by Astolfo's visage. There on the bridge, with the familiar sound of running water beneath them and the sun setting on the river bank, a backdrop to the pink haired knight who was the only one crazy enough to follow him around. Otto almost forgot... he wasn't alone anymore. He placed his own hand over Astolfo's, letting out another deep sigh and finally smiling back.

"You're right," he admitted. "Let's head to the tavern. My treat."

"Well…" Astolfo grumbled, "Not exactly like I have any money, anyways."

Otto laughed and brought their hands down, now holding Astolfo's hand at his side.

"We'll split the pay from this job once Ezren is safe."

"R-really?" Astolfo said, a little confused.

"Well of course," he said. "We're partners of course. Plus, if you really are a servant with a second life… you're going to need money for food, clothes, medicine and all that. We're both human now, after all."

Otto looked at him with a slightly puzzled look. He then began to laugh and hugged him tightly.

"You're so weird," Astolfo said, teasingly. "I love you…"

Otto brought his arms tenderly around Astolfo's shoulder and waist, hugging him closer. He noticed how warm Astolfo made him feel when they were touching… as well as how cold it was outside. It was funny, Otto thought, how a summoned familiar could gain control of their own life, become mortal, and fall in love with someone like him. It was even funnier then, that he was falling in love with such a summoned familiar. Or maybe it wasn't, after all. They were both once nothing but tools, he realized. Tools that broke free and decided to live life the way they wanted to. Tools that became human and decided to fall in love with one another.

"I love you, too... " Otto whispered in his ear, "Astolfo."

#####

The two shared a quiet meal in a dimly lit corner table of the tavern. It was a weekday evening, so they were two of the few people in the place. The blonde tavern keeper gave them a warm smile along with their drinks.

"Welcome back, you two," she said cheerfully.

"Thanks!" Astolfo piped up, grabbing his drink eagerly. "This place has such a nice view at this hour!"

"Nothing beats a sunset on the water, I suppose," she said with a light laugh. "I'll be back shortly with your food."

As Otto finally began to relax and take a sip of his drink, Astolfo gave him a sharp look.

"Alright, let's hear it," his pink haired partner demanded.

"W-what?" Otto asked, clearly caught off guard.

"You promised we'd talk about what happened… back there. You were really upset when we faced Lutz."

"Right," he said, lowering his head a bit and putting his drink back on the table. "I just can't stand people like him, really. The stereotypical mage who couldn't care less about normal folk."

"Well," Astolfo said before taking a long sip, "I have to agree, he was kind of a dunce, but… it's more than that, isn't it?"

Otto began to open his mouth but stopped himself. He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. He knew Astolfo could see right through him, there wasn't much point hiding anything at this stage.

"There was a job once, in Italy," Otto began in a somber tone. "Mage's association had reports of a rogue mage performing unsanctioned experiments on the countryside. Wanted me to track him down and bring him in. Found out he had brainwashed a family to believe he was their son and let him hide there. Problem was… when i followed the trail to a villa he had been staying at… something went wrong."

Otto looked back down at Astolfo. His eyes grew dim.

"The mage," Otto said, trying not to choke on his words, "for whatever reason, had split his consciousness into several fragments… each on inhabiting one of the other family members. I don't think it went as planned, as all of them, his own body included, were in a vegetative state, barely able to breathe on their own. I brought them all back to the Mage's association, hoping they could reverse it. But, they claimed that there was nothing they could do - the family's minds were essentially overwritten, and the man I was hired to bring back was in those five bodies. I fought them on the issue, begged them to at least try and do something, but they just gave me my reward and sent me on my way, like it was just any other day in their sordid business. That family… they were just erased and swept under the rug."

Astolfo's mouth fell open and he reached a hand across the table.

"Otto I'm sorry I…"

"It's not like they were my family," he said, "but… do you have any idea how many times I saw innocent people like them get caught up in a mage's lust for power? It was just disaster after disaster..."

Astolfo just stared dumbfoundedly. He instantly regretted making Otto talk. He started to understand why he was so quiet about it all. He was in pain. In quite a lot of it, in fact - he just hated to admit it. Otto placed both his hands on the table and gripped at it hard.

"For every person I saved, I felt like I failed so many more…"

Astolfo quickly grabbed Otto's hand and fought back his own tears as he stared Otto straight in the face.

"Otto, the fact that you think about saving people makes you good. You could have just left those people without a fight, but you didn't. You could have taken a way easier job than rescuing Ezren, but you didn't. You could have left me on the streets in Mannheim… but you didn't. A hero can't save everyone," the pink haired knight said sharply. "But, a hero never stops trying either."

"I'm no hero, Astolfo," Otto said dejectedly. "I'm just a mercenary."

"Nope. You're a hero," Astolfo said more firmly this time. A smile began to creep on his face. "And being born from a heroic spirit, I'd say I'm an authority on the subject of heroes!"

Otto's lips parted, partially stunned by his words. He then instinctively smiled back.

"I guess I can't argue with expert testimony, after all. Thanks, Astolfo."

The waitress came back to their table to see the two holding hands across it. A deep blush coming over both of them before retracting their hands with chuckles. The blonde waitress tried to hide her own laugh as she brought out their plates. Otto got a traditional spaetzle and pork disk, while Astolfo settled for a simple hamburger, bringing him much delight as he smelled the seasoned meat.

"Mmmmm!" Astolfo exhaled, before quickly devouring the burger in front of Otto.

Otto took his time, carefully cutting his meal up and eating it one bite at a time. He watched his partner go to town with a smile. Astolfo finished his meal rather quickly and began to hum to himself as he continued sipping on his drink and rocking from side to side. Otto realized something in that moment, which made him stop eating and just stare. He realized in that moment how precious Astolfo really was to him.

"W-what?" Astolfo asked once he noticed. "Is there something in my teeth?!"

"Astolfo," Otto said quietly. "I think… the reason I was so angry with Lutz… was because I was really afraid of anything happening to you."

"To-to-to me?" Astolfo stumbled, quickly blushing. "I know I'm not the _best_ servant, but I can take care of myself! Most of the time! Ok, sometimes."

"I just mean… you're what's important to me now. That's something I'll keep trying to protect, no matter what."

Astolfo puffed up his cheeks, slightly frustrated and flustered that he had no idea how to respond. He gritted his teeth and then exhaled, surrendering to his feelings.

"Otto," he said with a smile now, "if we're serious about… this… then I'll protect you too. No matter what. And that means sharing both your pain and happiness, rain or shine."

In yet another 'stunning each other with words' match, Otto was surprised. For someone with 'evaporated reasoning' Astolfo actually made a lot of sense when he followed his heart. It was warm and refreshing to Otto, who yearned for that kind of freedom. The waitress came back over and leaned in with a curious smile.

"How is everything?"

"Good," Otto said quickly. "I think I'll need a box though, and we'll take our check."

"Sure thing," the waitress said, taking Astolfo's empty plate and walking away.

"You're done, already?" Astolfo said quizzically.

"I can eat in our room."

"I mean, it's not that late… you're turning in early?"

"You said it yourself, I need to relax. And besides… I never said I was going to sleep quite yet. Just uh… maybe we can relax away from prying eyes tonight."

Astolfo bit his lower lip at the suggestion. His heart was already pumping with passion from the conversation. His feelings towards Otto only swelled further. That, and they both knew how each other felt at this point. It was simply the table (and societal norms) that kept them from pouncing on one another right there. Astolfo shifted in his seat and began to rub his leg againsts Otto's under the table.

"Of course," Astolfo said with labored breath, now starting to play with his long, pink hair. "Come to think of it, I think I've got a lead for you to explore, Mr. Investigator."

Otto rubbed his leg back against Astolfo's. He began to grip his hands tightly at his sides, his mouth began to water for _desert_. Astolfo was keenly aware of how much energy Otto tended to keep hidden, just waiting to burst. He just needed a little _push_.

"That can be arranged," Otto responded.

The waitress came back, this time a little concerned that neither of them were even looking in her direction this time, their eyes locked on each other. She quietly slipped them their bill and box.

It didn't take them long to wander towards the connected inn, grab a room, and head upstairs. This time the innkeeper gave them room five, far on the right side. Otto and Astolfo didn't even try to hide what they were up to this time, as they were practically attached to one another walking in - the pink haired knight had both arms wrapped around Otto's, and they rarely took their eyes off one another or dropped their smiles.

It also didn't take long for them to be upon one another like starving animals the moment the door closed. Otto grabbed Astolfo's sides and pressed him against the door and planted his lips against the pink knight's. Astolfo let out a satisfying breath and kissed him back, wrapping his arms tightly around Otto's stern shoulders, grasping at his back. They needn't say a word this time - they knew what they wanted. Astolfo's curiosity of Otto turned to lust, and he felt himself aching to touch every part of the man. Moreover, he wanted Otto to touch every part of _him_. Astolfo's left leg began to wrap around Otto's, opening himself up and pressing their hips together. He couldn't bare it any longer…

"Heh... heh," Astolfo slowly chuckled as they caught their breath. "I never did like wearing men's clothes."

Astolfo let his hands slide down Otto's chest as he slowly walked away, towards the bed. He began undoing the buttons of his shirt. Otto's face ran red as he watched Astolfo let his shirt fall to the ground, showing off his fair, smooth skin and slender figure, his bare back now exposed to Otto. While he looked stunning in a suit, it didn't quite fit Astolfo's feminine style. It looked a lot better… off.

Otto took Astolfo's playful smirk back at him as a sign to follow suit. Otto quickly threw his own shirt to the side and the two approached each other once again, another round of passionate embrace. Astolfo found himself running his fingers gently across the surface of Otto's hard chest, his fingertips only barely grazing the skin. It was a sensation that pushed them closer and closer. They kept grabbing and squeezing each other but they still wanted to be even _closer_. Otto himself even more curious now, found his hands wander to Astolfo's rear and grabbed his cheek, resulting in an audible moan from Astoflo as his body swelled with warmth. He couldn't take it anymore. Astolfo wanted it. He _needed_ it. He began to quickly undo both his and Otto's belt at the same time, their trousers beginning to fall.

As they finished discarding their pants and shoes, Otto looked in awe at how fine Astolfo's exposed legs really were. They were slender yet firm. The edges of his thighs were being lightly squeezed by the pink panties he wore underneath, showing off their perfect form - they looked powerful yet still girlish, just the right size. As Astolfo leaned on the bed, he tried to control his gasps as Otto found himself tracing his fingers up and down Astolfo's inner thigh. _He turned my trick against me!_ Astolfo jokingly thought. He quickly sat back up and wrapped his arms around Otto and began fervently kissing him, his lips starting to drift towards Otto's neck.

"Otto," Astolfo whispered, his lips almost touching Otto's ear as he pecked at the neck, "I want you... in me."

For a moment, there was some hesitation. Astolfo thought, at first, that maybe he was being too forward. Maybe he was rushing things. Those thoughts were abruptly cut off when Otto spun Astolfo around and pressed him against the side of the bed, making him almost yelp in surprise as he slammed his hands down on the sheets, now bent over. That was the _push_ Astolfo figured. A straightforward request that Otto undertook wholeheartedly. Astolfo's heart was pounding so hard it could almost be heard over his heavy breathing. _Yes, yes, yes!_ Was all he was thinking.

Otto dutifully lowered Astolfo's underwear to the floor, making sure that his fingers curled inward and rubbed Astolfo's leg down all the way. Astolfo swiftly kicked the garments away and presented himself to Otto, arching his back and leaning forward into the bed, bracing for impact. Otto admitted that for a moment, he was a little nervous. His body seemed to move faster than his mind when it came to making love with Astolfo. He hesitated for a moment, but the sight of Astolfo's rear entry puckering at him was tantalizing, to say the least. His lower body had already began reacting in kind.

"Enjoying the view?~" Astolfo said with a smirk as he looked back at Otto. "Go on, I'm ready for you…"

Otto couldn't resist any longer and grabbed Astolfo by the hips and began to insert himself. His entire body began to tingle as he felt himself enveloped by Astolfo.

"Just, you know... " Otto said, struggling to keep some composure, "tell me if it hurts."

"Oh… Otto… You… idiot… just… just... _Ah… Otto_!" Astolfo almost yelped the last few words as Otto thrust deeper inside. He had to admit, Otto was well equipped for the job. Otto rocked himself rhythmically into Astolfo, their hips colliding with a series of satisfying slaps. Their heavy breathing alternated, their moans harmonizing, and the bed began to rock against the wall. Otto felt a bit sorry for anyone who might be staying in the next room, but he didn't care enough to stop. He slammed himself into Astolfo in a heated passion, while Astolfo happily bounced back, now giggling and moaning in ecstasy.

"Yes!" He let out in between gasps occasionally. " _Yes!_ " He wanted this for so long. He wanted this feeling. He wanted Otto. _All_ of Otto.

Otto began to reach one hand around Astolfo's hips, drifting to the thighs and then ahead to Astolfo's own member. He grabbed it gently at first, slowing his pace as he changed things up. He began to stroke Astolfo everytime he thrust, keeping both in sync. Astolfo was beside himself. He was at heights well above cloud nine, grabbing the sheets so hard his fingers went a little numb. He turned his torso and neck somewhat around and tried to kiss Otto, who obliged in kind. The two ended up kissing wherever their lips landed, neck, cheek or lips - as their tempo increased and made it more difficult. The two felt a burning fire inside one another now. No… it was one fire that could not be extinguished. It would burn and burn and burn, Astolfo thought.

It was here, they both thought. That feeling they were searching for. That final height was being reached. Astolfo almost yelled in delight as he felt Otto release himself inside. Meanwhile, Otto could feel the fruits of his labor unleash from Astolfo as well. The two young men collapsed onto the bed, intertwined with each other as they tried to catch their breath. They intermittently would laugh and kiss one another, now tenderly rubbing the shoulders, legs, or cheeks of one another. For several minutes they would just stare into each other's eyes without saying a word. They were so busy cuddling and resting in a sweaty heap, they failed to notice a single, small, paper ticket descend from a bookshelf across the room and onto the floor, dislodged from their activities.


	7. Chapter 6

**~~Wow, this is my longest chapter yet! It's a pretty heavy one but I hope you all like it! It answers some questions you have been asking ;) and explores some other possibilities in the Apocrypha timeline I've always wondered. Anyways, enjoy!~~**

Chapter 6

Ezren grabbed at her coat pockets, desperately trying to find it. _Oh no,_ she thought, _are you kidding me?_ The two were sitting on a bench alone, waiting for their train to show. It was the best way to flee this area and get to their next destination. They had no vehicle, not much money, and no real way of outrunning a trained mage-hunter on foot.

"What is it?" Arentina asked, somewhat concerned. "Ezren, what's wrong?"

"Umm," she responded, looking straight forward and her cheeks running red. "I uh. May have… misplaced… my train ticket."

"You, what?" Arentina nearly shouted while whispering. Her eyes narrowed before relaxing again. "You really are trying to sabotage me, aren't you?"

"Look," Ezren said sharply, "it was the last thing on my mind at the time. Plus, it would be a lame attempt at escape, honestly."

"No matter," Arentina sighed. "We'll just have to improvise. You still have those mind tricks up your sleeve?"

"Well, yeah. It's not like I forget them. It's just... it takes a lot of concentration for me. I'm still learning."

"Well consider this some valuable practice. I want you to walk straight into that train with me, and when the staff tries to stop you… wipe their memories."

"Got it. I think I can do that…"

"I'll buy you time if need be, just focus on making them forget about us."

Ezren nodded. She was the heir to the von Brandt magus family, after all. She was a prodigy when it came to mind manipulation. And now she had a goal. For once, she had a purpose. For once, she had something to fight for.

#####

Astolfo found himself rousing awake first this time. His eyes fluttered open to reveal Otto, peacefully asleep on his back next to him. Astolfo was cuddled up to Otto's side, his hands resting on his partner's chest. He let out a labored yawn as he began to sit up, stretching his arms upward. As he finished, he looked down at Otto. His curious little investigator. His strong little hunter. The hard, stoic man now looked so defenseless and innocent as he lay sleeping. Astolfo felt like he could just stare at him forever, slowly stroking his bedraggled white hair and smiling. His hand drifted down to Otto's chest and began to simply trace his muscles. Astolfo couldn't help but touch - his partner was quite well defined.

Eventually, once satisfied, he kissed Otto on the forehead and began to get up from bed. Swinging bare legs off the side of the bed, he planted his feet on the floor and began to stand up when something stood out to him.

"Huh?" Astolfo let out with another yawn, looking down at the floor.

There was a ticket, just sitting in the middle of the room. Astolfo bent over to pick up.

"Hockenheim railway," Astolfo said quietly to himself. "One-way ticket to Konstanz. Hmm..."

Astolfo looked at it furrowed brow, turning it around and examining it further. It alone didn't mean much, but something in his gut made him run back to the bed and pounce on top of Otto, trying to wake him up.

"Otto," Astolfo loudly whispered as he planted two hands on Otto's torso and began shaking him, "Hey, Otto! Wake up!"

Otto grumbled and stirred, somewhat trying to turn over, but Astolfo had straddled his partner and kept him in place. Eventually his eyes began to open and he saw an excited Astolfo on top of him, smiling a toothy grin.

"Hey, there," Otto muttered with a groan. "Someone's excited this morning." Based on the current context, he wasn't sure if Astolfo was raring for another round or what. Otto was particularly drained and a little sore, so he was slow to come to his senses this morning. He truly just wanted to go back to sleep, but he could tell Astolfo wanted his attention.

"Morning, sunshine!" Astolfo said, handing Otto the ticket. "Look at this! Is this anything? I found it!"

Otto blinked rapidly at it, still a bit groggy. He took the ticket with one hand and rubbed his eyes with the other. _Hockenheim… to Konstanz?_ He thought.

"This is just a ticket to Konstanz," Otto said. "Could be one of the townsfolk left it here."

"Wouldn't they have come back for it?" Astolfo asked. "I mean… I don't see these people travelling much unless its to visit family."

"That's true," Otto said. "Let's go bring it to the front desk, see if someone is looking for it. Least we can do is try and return it."

"Mhmm!" Astolfo let out with a happy nod. He then just sort of sat there, naked and straddled over Otto and looking at him, his cheeks suddenly going bright red.

Otto just smiled and leaned up, kissing Astolfo tenderly on the lips, a hand coming to his cheek. Otto then ran his own hand through Astolfo's hair, which was down and unbraided at this point. It was quite majestic, even in its bed head state. Wild and untamed just like Astolfo himself. The two cradled each other in an embrace, exchanging kisses for a minute before laughing lightly at the same time.

"We best get a move on," Otto said, "or we'll be in bed together all day."

"That wouldn't be so bad~" Astolfo said, humming in between his sentence, "buuuuuut, we are on the job, I suppose. Maybe once we take a vacation day, I'll keep you all to myself."

With that Astolfo dismounted Otto and hopped off the bed to get dressed, giving Otto a teasing smile. Otto got up and did the same, though this time he wore more casual clothes he had brought along. He had no one to interview, and frankly wanted to loosen up this day if possible. In fact, he had no idea what he was doing today… but for once in a long while, that was okay he felt. He simply wore jeans and an untucked button up gray shirt, though still brought his coat since it was a bit chilly outside.

Astolfo decided to wear his long, form fitting black sweater dress and his signature black, thigh-highs. The outfit highlighted his formidable thighs, which Astolfo could tell generated a lot of steal away glances from Otto. While he was accustomed to braiding his hair, Astolfo was a bit excited to get going this morning. He wasn't sure why, and also liked the way Otto pet his hair, so his flowing pink mane was left down.

The two nodded at each other approvingly and walked out of their room, hand-in-hand. The innkeeper tilted her head downward and eyed upward, giving them a bit of a not-so-approving and judgy stare. The two blushed and tried to play it off with cheerful smiles. Otto cleared his throat, quickly trying to get past the awkwardness.

"Morning," Otto said.

"Good morning," the blonde innkeeper said with a sly smirk. "You two find your room... enjoyable?"

"It-it-it really is a lovely room, Ms.!" Astolfo piped up, his cheeks now bright, cherry red. "It's got a lovely view of the river. We really appreciate your hospitality, seriously."

"Right," she sighed. "Just… keep it down next time, yeah? Some of us are trying to sleep at night."

Both Otto and Astolfo's eyes were wide, their bodies frozen like a deer in headlights.

"Um," Otto immediately tried to change the subject, "we found something, by the way. Might've belong to the previous tenant."

"A ticket!" Astolfo shouted, handing it over. "They might be trying to see their family or something, we figured. Could you maybe contact who stayed there last and get this back to them?"

The innkeeper took the ticket and squinted at it. Suddenly her look strained further, as if trying to focus on something they couldn't see.

"Yeah… Sure," she said quietly. "Just… I'll… I'm sorry. I can't seem to remember their name. Or was it two people?"

Otto and Astolfo quickly glanced at each other with knowing eyes. _Wait a second,_ they both thought.

"Ms... " Otto began.

"Emilia," she said, almost in a haze. "My sister is Emily. Don't get us mixed up."

"Right, Emilia," Otto said, more serious now. "Can you tell me anything about the previous tenants of room five?"

"I… I'm sorry I… can't. For some reason my memory is a bit fuzz. Owch…" Emilia began to grab the side of her head. "I'm sorry, I'm suddenly not feeling to well. We don't really keep records or anything, it's a small town. But there was… someone… or maybe two someones, who came in before you. I'm sorry, I can't even remember their faces… it must have been late. I… oh, man. I need to sit down."

Otto snatched the ticket from her hand, now with a determined look on his face. With his other hand he fished out a few extra euros and plopped them on the desk.

"Sorry for your trouble," Otto said. "I think I know who this belongs to, actually. We'll bring it straight to them." He turned towards his partner.

Astolfo nodded firmly and the two walked off rather quickly. After running out of the inn and then towards the docks, Otto realized something.

"They're travelling on foot," Otto said. "There might still be time to catch up, but not by boat. The Hockenheim station is aways inland, through the forest."

"Hmph," Astolfo let out, crossing his arms, "I think I've got an idea!"

Astolfo took a step forward toward the river, put two fingers to his lips, and let out an otherworldly whistle. Otto could almost _feel_ the energy emanating from Astolfo when he called out. Suddenly, a golden flash of light could be seen from the forest and something began to emerge.

A majestic avian call echoed across the water and was accompanied by something even more amazing to Otto's eyes: Astolfo's Hippogriff began to soar towards them at max speed. _So it was real…_ he realized. The night before meeting Astolfo, Otto swore he saw something mythical sailing through the night sky. But here, in the clear morning sun, he could see the beast in all its glory.

"Astolfo…" Otto said, breath taken aback.

"You like my Hippogriff?" Astolfo said with a huge grin. "This also takes a bit of mana, but I summoned him here super quick! Gotta catch up, right?"

"It's beautiful…" Otto said, staring wide eyed as the creature gracefully landed its huge talons and hooves upon the wooden planks in front of them. Otto was amazed at how many tricks Astolfo seemed to have up his sleeve. But that was his strength it seemed. He may not be the strongest, or the quickest, or the most powerful, but he had accumulated a variety of resources from his time as an adventurer. One of which was his trusty companion and mount, made flesh and blood in front of them now - an extension of Astolfo's new life. It was a power that reflected him well - even without preordained strength, he managed to still become a great hero through hard work questing and the many friendships made along the way. In fact, most of his noble phantasms were gifts from dear friends who wished him to become stronger.

"Awwww, you hear that, bud? He likes you!" Astolfo began to pet his Hippogriff, who looked cautiously at Otto. "Oh, right. Hippogriff, this is my new boyfriend, Otto. Otto, this is my trusty steed, Hippogriff! Say hello!"

"H-hello," Otto said, a bit intimidated by the size of the magical creature. "You… just call him Hippogriff?"

"Well… yeah!" Astolfo shouted as he began to get climb on its back. "He's the only one I've ever met so… you know… look, let's get going, yeah? Hop on!"

Otto's eyes went wide again, but this time from trepidation. The winged horse-like creature huffed at him, but did not budge. It trusted Astolfo, and thus would not act out - though it still made Otto uneasy the way it looked at him. _Wait,_ he thought, _did it actually understand Astolfo? It's looking at me like an overprotective sibling... what the hell!?_

"Wait," Otto said, finally realizing what was happening, "we're _flying_ there?!"

"Well, duh, dummy!" Astolfo groaned. "How else are we gonna catch the bad guy?"

Otto shook his head a bit to get his head in the game and then quickly nodded, taking a step towards the Hippogriff. He was greeted by Astolfo's hand which reached down to help him up. For some reason, he was shaking ever slightly.

"Astolfo?" Otto said quietly, before reaching out to grab his hand.

It was like deja vu. Astolfo had once reached out to a man he loved and respected like this. He had once lifted Sieg onto the back of his mount before they charged into battle together that fateful night. Seeing Otto in his place, suddenly made him feel uneasy. It wasn't even a new moon, but the last memories of Sieg were burned into his skull, and even now sent a shiver down his spine at the idea of ever losing Otto. It's true… Sieg wasn't dead. But… Astolfo had came to terms that he would never see him again. _Plus,_ Astolfo thought, fighting back tears, _he probably would have ended up with Jeanne, anyways, huh? That idiot…_

"Astolfo, are you okay?" Otto repeated, now grabbing ahold of Astolfo and lifting himself up on the Hippogriff's back, mounted right behind Astolfo.

"I'm fine," he quickly said aloud. "I just… I'll explain later…"

"Over dinner?" Otto said.  
"Yeah, deal." Astolfo took a deep breath and put the fear on the backburner. He was glad Otto understood him. They had bigger fish to fry. Also, Astolfo told himself, Otto wasn't Sieg. This wasn't a Holy Grail War. This was the present, not the past. Otto was his own man, capable of protecting himself - Astolfo was confident that together, they were invincible. After stealing himself, Astolfo yanked on reins.

"Let's go, Hippogriff!" The pink haired paladin shouted with reinvigorated vigor. The creature let out another call and began to run along the dock, towards the water. At the very last step before falling off it spread their wings and began to soar upward into the blue skies above. Otto quickly grabbed Astolfo's sides, his fingers resting firmly below his ribs. The feeling of suddenly taking flight was jarring, and it took Otto a good awhile to ground himself and prevent himself from throwing up.

Astolfo chuckled as he felt Otto grab on tighter, quietly enjoying the feeling. While he knew Otto was a bit scared, he couldn't help but to tease him.

"I know you like grabbing me from behind," Astolfo said with a big smirk and a wink looking backwards, "but you're gonna leave marks if you grab any tighter. Not that I mind~"

"R-r-right," Otto said, loosening his grip a bit and taking a deep breath. "I uh… wasn't exactly mentally prepared to _fly_ first thing this morning. On the back of a mythical creature."

"Well you ought to learn to expect the unexpected with me, partner. Oh right, one sec. Can you take the reins for a minute? Thanks!" Astolfo quickly shoved the reins into Otto's hands and began to slide sideways, looking like he was going to fall off for a minute, but instead quickly used his legs to wrap around the straps of the Hippogriff's saddle and stabilized himself, still hanging off the edge almost upside down.

"Astolfo!" Otto panicked, grabbing the reins, not really sure how to use them. "What the hell?!"

"I've gotta get dressed!" He shouted, pulling out pieces of his armor from the bag on the side of the Hippogriff. He began to don his shoulder plates, golden breastplate and shining silver gauntlets like it was nothing as he hung off their ride. "We've gotta expect the unexpected right?"

"You're the one who said that!" Otto shouted. "But… yes, yes we should!"

Astolfo gave a satisfied grin back as he took out his armored skirt, which lay neatly over the bottom of his dress. After tightening the straps on the plates, he pulled out his white boots and began to change out the ones he was wearing, tossing the dress black boots into the bag. Finally, Astolfo pulled out his flowing white and red cape.

"Yahoo!" He sung out as he pulled it out, waving it like a defiant flag across the wind. He quickly began to don it and spun himself back to the top of the Hippogriff. After bucking it in over his breastplate, he gave a determined smile to the world in front of him. "Now you'll get to see what the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne is all about, eh, Otto?"

While Otto was at first fearful, that had all now subsided, yielding itself to awe. His breath was clearly taken away. There in front of him sat Astolfo, Hero of the Franks, in all his glory. There was little doubt in Otto's mind now - he really was with a servant incarnate. A hero of legend. It just so happened to be one of the most beautiful people who could have ever imagined. What more could he ask for? In that moment, Otto shared in Astolfo's determination, also putting on a grin of someone ready to take on the world… together.

"Right," Otto shouted. "Let's do this!"

#####

"Ezren!" Arentina shouted. "What happened?"

"I… I don't know!" Ezren responded, running out of breath.

The two wayward mages were quickly running through train car after train car, pushing past passengers and staff alike. Trays of food were being flung upward and around, causing chaos and commotion. Needless to say, their plan did not quite work out as intended. Ezren ran the scenario over and over in her mind. Was she just tired? Was she losing focus? Fear, she started to blame. She nearly froze when casting the spell on the conductor. When she hesitated mid-chant, he shouted for the security guard. When that happened, Ezren panicked. The man's mind grew hostile and formidable, she couldn't wipe it as easily. He was no long unsuspecting. Next thing they knew, they were comically running through the entire length of a train that had already begun starting its engines and heading forward.

"New plan!" Arentina said, looking backwards. "We're going topside through one of the back cars. We may have to jump off!"

"But we've got to get to Konstanz!" Ezren responded back, pushing past another passenger. "This might be your only shot!"

"First things first, let's get up there and assess the situation."

"Hey, stop! You two, stop!" The security guard yelled out, quickly running out of breath as he pushed his way back as well.

Arentina figured the amateur guard wouldn't give chase if they went up. He wasn't exactly expecting two rogue mages to stowaway. In hindsight, it may have been easier to just take someone else's ticket. They didn't have much money left to buy another one, but maybe it would have been easier on Ezren to simply just snatch a ticket. But the damage had been done.

The two made their way to one of the more empty cargo cars and brought down the ladder. After opening and climbing through the top hatch, they raised the ladder back up and closed the hatch back up, finally able to take a breath as they sat atop the train car, the wind blasting their faces. They could hear the security guard burst in, angrily trying to find them. He in fact kept progressing past their car and into the back cars.

"Aren," Ezren said. "Why don't we just… take the train for ourselves?"

Aretina blinked a few times rapidly. Almost no one called her that. Only the handful of people who could loosely be called "family". For a moment, she forgot who she was talking to. This little mage from a stuck up family, whom Arentina had kidnapped no less, was now suggesting they heist an entire train together. She smiled and began to laugh into the wind.

"You're crazy, kid," Arentina said. "Let's do it."

#####

"Look!" Astolfo said, pointing down at the train as it bolted through the woods below.

Otto could see two humanoid figures atop the train cars, running and jumping towards the front. _Bingo,_ he thought.

"Let's pay them a visit, Astolfo," Otto said.

"Got it!" The pink knight shouted before descending their Hippogriff rapidly downward, in an almost dive bomb fashion that let out a yelp from Otto. The two figures looked back and definitely saw them coming, and sprinted forward as far as they could get before the Hippogriff made their landing.

As the Hippogriff's talons sunk into the metal of the train, Astolfo and Otto quickly dismounted and drew their weapons. Astolfo's sword was unsheathed and Otto whipped out his beretta, though he had very little ammo for it - just what was left in the chamber. He wasn't expecting a fight when he got up this morning. He really should have listened to his father when he said 'be ready for anything, at all times.'

Ezren and Arentina quickly turned around to face their pursuers, and meet them face-to-face for the first time. Arentina's hooded cloak spun around with her, revealing her heavily armored and mechanically augmented body. As Arentina and Ezren spun around and assumed a defensive stance, both Arentina and Otto stared at each other with dumbfounded surprise.

"Aren…?" Otto said with a gasp. "You're alive?! What the hell is going on? What are you doing with the von Brandt kid?"

"Otto," Arentina said, her arms fall to her sides with a labored sigh. "Otto fuckin' Emiya. Out of everyone in the whole damned world to run into, it had to you."

"Otto," Astolfo said with raised eyebrows, "who's this?"

"She's… my sister," Otto said, his arms also simply hanging to the side.

"No!" Arentina shouted. "You were never like a brother to me!"

"He took care of all of us, Aren," Otto said.

"Stop calling me that!" Arentina screamed. "And he didn't, Otto. He took care of _you_. You were always Kiritisgu's favorite, and don't try and tell me otherwise. He left us in stasis for years at a time! He forgot about us, Otto!"

Astolfo and Ezren simultaneously eyed the two with huge, confused eyes, and then looked back at each other awkwardly. Astolfo offered a weak wave.

"You uh, you must be Ezren von Brandt," Astolfo announced. "My name's Astolfo! And we're here to rescue you!"

"I appreciate that, Astolfo," Ezren said, quickly gathering herself and standing up straight, "but I do no not require rescue anymore. I'm with Aretina of my own free will."

"W-w-what?!" Astolfo shouted.

"What do you mean?" Otto asked, bewildered.

"I mean I'm staying with Arentina." Ezren replied promptly.

"Is she brainwashing you?!" Astolfo asked. "This is like… what's it called…"

"Stockholm syndrome," Otto finished.

"Yeah, that! It's Stockholm syndrome, right?" Astolfo said with a hopeful nod.

"If anyone's been brainwashed, it woulda been me," Arentina interjected, taking a step forward. "You know these von Brandts are masters of the human mind, right? Super powerful mages."

"We've had our dealings with them," Otto admitted. "It's… something."

"Well little Ezren here volunteered to help me with something." Arentina said.

"Something?" Otto asked.

"Something important," Arentina said. "And if you don't mind, we're going to be doing just that."

"No," Otto said flatly. "I was hired to bring Ezren back home, and I intend on doing just that. If this is what you truly want, Ezren, I'm sorry. Maybe you wanted to run away for awhile, but it's time to go home."

"Yeah!" Astolfo joined in. "Your parents are worried sick. Your cousin too, even! A bunch of people miss you, Ezren!"

"Plus," Otto added, "whatever it is you need help with, Aren, maybe we can help you-"

"No!" Arentina shouted. "No! Don't you get it? The _least_ the von Brandts will do is kill me at this point. I took their only child. You think they're going to help me? I'm sorry, Otto, but we're not going back."

"Tsk," Otto let out, gritting his teeth. None of it made any sense. Why was Arentina here? What was she trying to pull? Why the hell did the von Brandt kid _want_ to be kidnapped? He didn't feel good about going against his adoptive sister, or trying to get a kid to come along with them who didn't want to, but something about the entire situation felt _wrong_. He couldn't bring himself to back down. He had to stop this nonsense. He had to stop it now.

"We're not leaving without Ezren," Otto said flatly. "Please, Aren. Stop this. We can work something out."

Arentina shook her head and began to reach into her pouch. Out of it she took out a small red crystal. She began to crush it in her hand. Astolfo and Otto quickly dropped back in a defensive stance, ready for some sort of magical attack. Instead, Arentina palmed the tiny shards of the red mana crystal and brought them up to her nose, snorting the crystalline dust and visible recoiling. Arentina began to hysterically laugh. Soon, her light red pupils began to overtake almost her entire eye. They were now a deep, blood red and she wore a wicked grin. Several crystalline shards began to grow from her gaunted hands. No, they were like crystal claws. She screamed with bestial rage and lunged towards Otto with hatred he thought unfathomable.

Astolfo quickly intervened, intercepting Arentina's arrogant attack. With a grunt, Astolfo managed to parry the crystal claws with his sword.

"I'll kill you!" Arentina shouted, spit flying from her mouth at Astolfo. "I'll ravage you! I'll rip apart anyone in my way! You can't stop me! I'm not done yet! Not yet, not yet, not yet!"

Ezren gritted her teeth at the sight. She had seen this before and knew what it meant. She quickly dropped into a stance as well and began to cast a spell.

" _Foci_ ," Ezren chanted. She hoped to bring Arentina's rage down a notch. _Calm yourself, Arentina,_ Ezren thought to herself. Though it made her powerful, things could quickly go off the rails here. A swirl of green energy surrounded Arentina and her irises shrank slightly. The raging mage disengaged from Astolfo for a second and gathered her strength, a tad more collected. The two stared off and clearly intended to fight.

Otto's eyes darted from side to side as he gripped his firearm. Only a few shots, and he didn't want to shoot anyone if he didn't have to. Despite her appearance, firing on Arentina felt wrong. Instead, he got an idea from the enemy. He decided to focus his attention on his companion.

" _Stärken_!" Otto chanted, reaching a hand out to Astolfo.

A storm of blue energy surrounded Astolfo and then bound itself to his body like tiny strings that helped hold him together, blue swirls running up and down his skin for a moment before fading. Suddenly, Astolfo felt much stronger and confident. Surely, he should be able to defeat this mage.

Arentina screamed and flung herself towards Astoflo, quickly bringing down one of her red mana claws. Astolfo managed to deftly parry the strike with his sword, but it was followed by another, and another, _and another_. The flurry of claw strikes was insane, Astolfo realized. While he could hold his ground, he didn't seem to be able to retaliate. The mad red mage had the speed and tenacity to rival a servant, though it seemed to be at quite a cost to body and mind. With neither side able to land a blow, the fight quickly started with a stalemate.

" _Thy Adonto!"_ Ezren chanted.

Suddenly, there were three copies of Arentina. While it was obviously an illusion, Arentina quickly spun back around as she disengaged and it was difficult for Astolfo to pinpoint which one was the real one. _This isn't good,_ he realized. Without much of a break, Arentina and her clones launched themselves forward at Astolfo. The pink paladin spun his hips around in hopes of a wide swing, trying to chamber each strike in a broad stroke. It almost worked, save for a single claw getting a swipe at his forearm, cutting rather deeply. The red mana dust that mixed in with the cut burned. _Ah, so this is what it feels like…_ Astolfo thought, wincing in pain. _This is what it feels like to be mortal again. To be in danger… to fear._

While it made his arm tremble in pain, Astolfo gave a determined, toothy grin towards his opponent. In a way, this fight made him truly feel alive. This was the thrill he always seeked. The thrill of danger and adventure. He took a deep breath and steadied himself.

"My name is Astoflo," he called out, "The Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne! For your own good, we will defeat you!"

Ezren's eyes widened. _I knew it,_ she thought, taken aback, _he really is a servant._

Taking note of which claw hit him, Astolfo was easily able to tell which one of the Arentinas were real, sheathed his sword, reached out his hand and summoned his trusty lance, Argalia. It was a brilliant white and gold weapon, as tall as the pink knight himself. Both Ezren and Otto had to admit it was a beautiful weapon, fit for a beautiful servant. He glanced back at Otto with a smile and nodded. Even without master-servant telepathy, the message was clear: Astolfo was going in hard and asked if Otto had his back. Otto curtly nodded and raised his arm once again.

" _Blitz…"_ Otto's entire body began to spark arcs of electricity, his hand quickly emitting a bright blue charge, "... _schnell!"_

The spell shot through Astolfo's body, coursing with energy. His body and mind began to rapidly accelerate. Arentina had disengaged, but was ready to attack once again. This was his chance. As the red mage launched herself, Astolfo flung himself right at the Arentina on the left, the real one, and played the ace up his sleeve.

"Trap of Argalia!" Astolfo slyly shouted.

The golden lance began to sparkle with white and gold energy as he thrust it forward. Arentina went to try and block the blow with both claws, but the speed and strength of the attack was just too much. It broke right through her claws and stabbed into her leg, making it start to temporarily fade from existence. Arentina let out a horrid scream as the rage began to fade from her eyes and the crystal appendages crumbled. She fell to her knees and was quickly down for the count.

Before Otto and Astolfo could advance, however, Ezren quickly acted. The young mage put out both hands, extended towards both of them, and let out a chant.

" _Somnum exterreri!"_

Suddenly, for Otto and Astolfo, everything was black.

"What… is this? An illusion?" Otto asked aloud, his voice echoing in the void before him.

"Aw nuts," Astolfo sulked, in a similar void. Neither could see or hear each other.

Otto's vision began to morph into a crumbling castle. Chaos. Death. _Fear_. It was a day he could never forget. It was the day he was free, but also the day he became alone. He had been woken up from a long slumber. It was an advanced machine of science and magecraft, a stasis chamber. How long had he been asleep? Was it years? Decades? The last thing he remembered was his adoptive father and mentor, a man with jet black hair, a rough face, an imposing black coat, and a sad smile. Kiritsugu Emiya, the Mage Hunter.

"I'm sorry, Otto," he had said with that same defeated look. "But the Einzberns are putting your project on hold. I… I'm going to have to put you to sleep again."

"What about Aura and Arentina?" Otto had asked. "Are they going to sleep, too?"

"Yes, Otto," he said with the same sad smile. "We'll… we'll be together again soon, I promise."

"Then everything should be fine!" Otto said. "Plus, it'll be like a few seconds to me, right? I'll see you in no time!"

"Yeah," Kiritsugu said softly, "see you on the other side, kid."

But when Otto woke up in the Einzbern castle depths, it was abandoned. It was empty. So much time had passed, and the castle had fallen into disrepair. Hormunci lie dead scattered through the ruins in heaps. His brothers and sisters… his friends. _His family_. Otto climbed through the ruins, shaking, trembling, crying. It didn't make any sense. Where was Father? Where were his sisters? Where was _anyone?_ There were no answers, and that was all he wanted in that moment. He wanted answers. _Why, why, why, why?!_ Was all he could scream.

The nightmare that Astolfo had thought gone returned. The void slowly colored itself into a battlefield. Blood. Hate. Death… _War_. Astolfo had began as an adventurer, but as he supported his King and friend Charlemagne, there were those that opposed his rule. As with any kingdom, any empire, there was war. The two fought side-by-side, but war was never pretty. It was nothing like slaying monsters and rescuing those in need. This had always felt like needless and brutal bloodshed. Still, Astolfo dutifully defended his friend. Still, Astolfo dutifully defended his King. Still, Astolfo dutifully defended his _emperor_.

"Soon, there will be peace," Charles told Astolfo, ambition and hope in his eyes. "I promise!"

"I… I hope you're right," Astolfo said, tears in his eyes as he knelt on the battlefield. "I really do, Charles. I… I don't know how much longer I can do this. How much longer?"

"Soon," he had said. "The Carolingian Empire will be recognized as the true Roman Empire, revitalized! Astolfo, there won't be any more petty wars or people fearing for their lives every day… there will be real peace and unity!"

Charles was once an adventurer and knight like him, so Astolfo knew his heart was in the right place. But the cost… the cost of what they have done. So many lives… so many families ruined. This wasn't what he signed up for, Astolfo thought. This was _insanity_. Still, he took a deep breath and nodded. They had both made a promise.

"I'll follow you, Charles," Astolfo said, "till the day I die."

Suddenly, Otto and Astolfo were shocked back into reality, tears streaming down both their faces as they faced one another.

"What?" They both muttered, as if waking up from a deep sleep.

When they turned back towards Arentina and Ezren, the train separated. Ezren had managed to disconnect the coupler. With them being on the front end, the train began to speed ahead and leave behind the cars Otto and Astolfo were on. Arentina and Ezren themselves had managed to disappear into the crowd below once again, and Otto could feel the wheels of their own part of the train start to grind to a halt.

"We… we need to stop them!" Astolfo said, stammering as he walked towards the Hippogriff.

"No," Otto said quietly. "We need to make sure everyone on this part of the train is safe. They'll need a pickup. Then, we'll follow them from a distance. I want to see what they're up to."

"I suppose we know where they're going," Astolfo said with a nod, stowing his lance on his back and letting out a long sigh before sitting on the edge of the car, dangling his feet below. "You know, you've got some serious explaining to do..."

Otto nodded and sat beside Astolfo.

"You're right," he said. "I should have told you earlier… I guess I'll tell you everything now. No point in hiding anything from you."

He reached into his coat pocket and took out a single cigarette. He didn't smoke often, but if there was ever a time, it was now he figured. _Damnit, Kiritsugu,_ he thought. After lighting it and taking a small drag and blowing it upward, he turned to Astolfo with a serious look. His pale skin, white hair, and rosy red eyes almost glowed in the afternoon sun.

"My full name is Otto Emiya. I'm an experimental homunculus made by the Einzberns before they collapsed."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 _Ahhh!_ Astolfo's thoughts echoed. _Do I seriously have a thing for homunculi? This time it was an accident, I swear! Aw man… can't be helped I guess._ Astolfo wondered why he just now realized it. The rosy eyes and pale skin were generally a tell-tale sign. The white hair though, must have been an Einzbern thing, he figured. Even so, Otto was… different. Though he shared some similarities with Sieg… Otto had developed his own personality, gone his own way. He had become his own person long ago and had matured. He had matured into a man. Astolfo took a deep breath and put his hands to the back of his head.

"A homunculus, huh?" Astolfo said quietly, he simply stared up at the sky.

"You seemed to handle that part fairly well," Otto said, his brows raised. "Most mages look at me like I'm some defective tool."

"Well I'm not a mage, and you're not the first I've met," Astolfo said flatly, still not looking Otto in the eye. "The Yggdmillennia had their own line of homunculi. I… worked with them. A lot, during the Holy Grail War."

Otto leaned forward and shot Astolfo an inquisitive look, but then continued.

"The Yggdmillennia, if I recall, stole many of the secrets from the Einzberns, trying to compete with them. I've heard they're pretty effective, but… not quite the same as us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Astolfo finally looked at him, his eyes glazed. _No, no, no! I didn't mean to sound like that!_

"I…. I'm sorry?" Otto asked, taken a bit aback. "I just meant… we're different is all. Different purposes and such. So our biology is a bit off. Different methods of creation."

 _Right…. They're different,_ Astolfo reminded himself. _What is wrong with me?_

"So," Astolfo let out a sigh, "what kind of a homunculus are you? "

"Well," Otto said, looking at his hands. "The Einzberns have always strived towards making homunculi as close to humans as possible. I was supposed to be a step in that direction. Longer life span, longer maturation rate, more natural growth, less reliance on magical circuits. Basically just an artificial human at that point, with the advantages of heavy magical circuits."

"I'm glad that they did," Astolfo said, leaning towards Otto, "but why would they want to make like... a person? Usually mages make…"

"Tools?" Otto said. "We're tools to them."

"Yeah," Astolfo said. "Which pretty much means a slave…"

"Well, you're not wrong. But the Einzberns were in a bad way. They needed more autonomous soldiers. Ones who could think and act on their own. Plus, we were trained by one of their top mercenaries to counter other mages."

"You mean, your father?"

"Yeah… well, we called him that. There were three of us in the first test group. Kiritsugu was put in charge of us, but… since we were still just kids when we came out of the vats, he treated us… well, like kids. He took care of us. It was sort of hard not to call him my dad. I had no one else, really."

"A mercenary with a heart, huh?" Astolfo said with a smirk.

"You could say that. He definitely had a soft spot for us after awhile. Plus, I think he _also_ had a soft spot for one of the Einzberns themselves. But, his masters eventually forced our training forward. And man, did he push us… but I never hated him for it. He made me into who I am today, after all."

"He probably trained you extra hard to keep you safe!"

Otto smiled at the thought and nodded. "Yeah, you know… I think he really did care about us. He never once looked at us like we were tools. Soldiers, maybe. But he looked at us like we were… well, humans."

"That's because life is precious," Astolfo said looking out towards the sun again. "Sometimes not everyone sees it. But the people who manage to see it when it counts… especially the ones who see it in themselves, they're special." He looked back at Otto with a sad smile.

"Astolfo…" Otto said quietly.

"Otto," Astolfo said with a heavy sigh before looking at him. "My Master was a homunculus made by the Yggdmillennia. His name was… Sieg."

"Wait," Otto said, eyes wide. "The Master who one who won the Holy Grail War was…"

"A homunculus, yeah. But Sieg was more than that. He didn't let it define who he was. He was amazing. He… he was special to me, Otto. But now he's gone."

"Oh," Otto said, starting to realize what he meant. "I'm… sorry, Astolfo."

"Don't be. Just… just sometimes I see him in you. But that's not fair. That's not fair to you or him. I just… I don't know what to think. All I know is… I love you, Otto. And I don't want you to go disappearing on me, too."

"I won't," Otto said, standing up swiftly.

"You promise?" Astolfo asked.

"I promise," Otto said, reaching a hand outward. Astolfo took it and pulled himself up, face to face to Otto. Though both were victims of promises broken, they made this one wholeheartedly. They forged a bond with hope. Hope of a future together. After a few moments of silence the two exchanged a tender flurry of kisses before Astolfo rested his head on Otto's chest and grabbed onto him tightly. Otto placed a hand on Astolfo's head and returned the favor.

#####

Arentina and Ezren rounded the corner of an alleyway and caught their breath. Once sure they had lost any potential pursuers, Ezren began to break out in laughter. Arentina looked dumbstruck at first, but then started to giggle alongside the little mage.

"I can't believe we got away," Ezren laughed.

Arentina could have sworn she looked like she was having… fun. The two of them managed to slip off the train just before it stopped and the authorities awaiting it searched the cars. Just to be safe, they booked it far away from the station into the outskirts of the city. Arentina gave a tired smile before leaning up against the wall next to Ezren.

"Yeah," Arentina said laboriously. "Helluva a ride, eh, kid?"

Arentina began to violently cough blood and slump to the ground.

"Aren!" Ezren shouted, kneeling down next to her.

"Bit off more than I can chew, it seems," Arentina said quietly. "Figures I ran into a damned Servant of all things. How the hell is that even possible?!"

"There's been talk of a huge Holy Grail war that just ended," Ezren said, suddenly serious. "I had my suspicions but, this confirms my theory… one of them survived. You're lucky to have lived from that blow."

"I went all out, and was only able to keep 'em on the defensive. Soon as I opened an opportunity, that dainty bastard took it." Arentina let out another cough before trying to stabilize her breathing. "Ezren… I need more mana."

"Arentina… you can't. Those crystals are going to kill you!"

"I just need… enough to… finish… what I started."

"When we're done with this, you better stop using them!"

"Sure…"

"You promise?"  
"Sure… whatever… yeah, I promise, kid."

The red mana crystals were a double edged sword for Arentina. Between her magecraft induced augmentations and superior magic circuits, her body could withstand direct contact with pure, crystallized mana and not break down entirely. She would inhale the dust of ground up crystals like a drug and it would amplify her power tenfold, but it came at a cost. The overuse of the crystals was tearing her body and mind apart slowly. Still, Arentina was determined to do anything it took to achieve her goal.

"I just need… a little more to power through this," Arentina said as she began to stand back up.

"If you do anymore right now, you'll drop dead by morning," Ezren said, crossing her arms. "Save it for if we run into them again. Conserve your energy. Let's find somewhere to get you healed up, we're safe for the moment."

"Fine, but we ain't got long," Arentina said. "There's something we gotta do before we leave Konstanz."

#####

Astolfo and Otto had met up with the security guard of the train while making sure everyone was well and that there was help on the way. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt, and the security guard had gotten in touch with the station to send help. As usual though, the witnesses did not have much useful in the way of information on now runaway von Brandt and her kidnapper turned companion. Once the train had been secured, Astolfo and Otto slipped away and hopped on the Hippogriff once again to resume their chase.

"Let's go!" Astolfo shouted, grabbing the reins of the creature and launching themselves upward.

Otto nodded and grabbed onto Astolfo's sides again. While he knew it was for stability, Astolfo smiled everytime Otto did it. Though it was noon, the mountainous air they were in now was quite chilly and the warmth of another body was welcome. The wind began to bite at their skin as they flew through the skies towards Konstanz. In fact, they could eventually see the snowy tops of the mountains to their right. In fact, it suddenly dawned on Otto where they were. In the southern, mountainous region of Germany near Konstanz, along where the Rhine river ends was the former Einzbern family's estate - the place he had been born. In the distance, he could make out the stone silhouette of the castle itself.

"Wow," Astolfo said with a heavy breath, "it really is beautiful here."

Otto blinked a few times and looked around more closely. It had been 'home' to him. He never really thought much else of it. But to Astolfo, the servant who got a second chance at life, everything must be that much more beautiful. Everything that much more treasured and appreciated. Otto began to realize just how precious that smile of Astolfo really was. It was a smile of pure bliss, and he couldn't help but feel infected with that bliss whenever he was with Astolfo. He smiled too and began to laugh.

"W-what's so funny?" Astolfo said looking over his shoulder.

"Nothing," Otto said, grabbing onto Astolfo tighter. "Just keep flying."

"Oh?" Astolfo said with a giggle and rosy cheeks. "Aye, aye, then! Let's go!"

Astolfo's Hippogriff touched down on the rural outskirts of the city as the sun began to set on the urban skyline. The two dismounted at the treeline, Astolfo stopping to pet his old friend for a minute before they departed. As he began to turn, Otto put out a hand slowly and attempted to pet the Hippogriff as well. The creature let out a heavy breath, but remained still and let Otto pet his feathers.

"I think he's starting to like you," Astolfo said to Otto with a smirk.

The Hippogriff let out a loud squawk as if in protest and Otto instinctively withdrew his hand away.

"Baby steps," Otto muttered nervously. "Baby steps."

Astolfo failed to stifle his laughter and began to walk away. Otto ran next to Astolfo and the two began to head towards the train station. There were local authorities scattered everywhere, blockading the streets going into it. After surveying the scene and overhearing conversations amongst the police, Otto could quickly confirm that Arentina and Ezren were here, but had given the police the slip.

"As expected," Otto said quietly.

"So what now?" Astolfo said. "What's your plan?"

"We wait," Otto said, simply turning away from the yellow police tape.

"We what?!" Astolfo shouted. "But we're right on their tail!"

"If they were aiming to escape, they would have done so already," Otto said looking upward. "Back at the train, Arentina let it slip she had something she had to do. Her goal is something more than just ransoming Ezren to her folks, and for whatever reason, Ezren doesn't feel threatened her at the moment. My guess is that they have something to do in this city."

"But, that doesn't mean she's not up to something bad!"

"This is true. But, we have no idea what her motivation is yet. If we go around showing ourselves now, we may scare them away. No, it's best for us to let them show their hand now. We'll stay on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary here. Knowing how reckless Arentina is, she's bound to make some noise around here."

Astolfo's mouth fell agape. He was beyond impressed at how calm and collected Otto was during all this. _He's so smart!_ Astolfo thought, _what a keeper…_

"That's my investigator!" Astolfo said, wrapping both his hands around Otto's left arm. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, like you said: 'can't see the forest if we focus on one tree,' and we've got a whole city of a forest here. We'll rest up for now and take it easy, just keep an eye out and our heads low."

"Sooooo," Astolfo said with a smirk, "does that mean you'll treat me to dinner at this hour?"

"Gosh you're needy," Otto said.

"W-w-what the hell!" Astolfo said, gently pounding his fist into Otto's shoulder.

"I was just joking," Otto said, lightly chuckling. "Or at least trying to."

"Psssh," Astolfo said with a smile. Since Otto was usually so stoic, it was almost impossible to tell when he wasn't being serious. Still, it was nice to see him loosening up finally. "Your teasing needs some work!"

"So what are you in the mood for?" Otto asked.

"Maybe something more simple this time," Astolfo announced. "I want junk food!"

"Pizza and a hotel?"

"Perfect," Astolfo said with a big grin, grabbing Otto's arm tighter and nuzzling against him. "I haven't had pizza in ages! Literally!"

#####

"You sure this plan will work?" Ezren asked, peeking around the alleyway corner at the museum guard out front.

"It has to," Arentina said. "Just follow my lead."

The two snuck their way towards the loading dock of the building, skirting the view distance of the guard on patrol who was busy locking up the front door to the museum. It wasn't the most complicated heist Arentina had ever done, in fact it was pretty straightforward. Break in, sneak around, and take what they're looking for. With Mr. Investigator and his pink sidekick in tow, however, Arentina knew they had to be extra careful.

"Ready?" Ezren said, sweating a bit.

"Yeah," Arentina said with a raised eyebrow. "Are you?"

Ezren nodded and tightened her fist, determined to go through with this. Arentina nodded in turn and the two quickly bolted towards the wall of the museum. While there was a camera aimed at the garage door of the loading bay, there was none at their destination: a vent on the side of the building. Arentina ran a finger across the edges of the vent, slowly melting away the metal with heated magecraft. Ezren peered at the camera aimed at the side entrance and began to focus on her chant.

" _Phantasmate Solu,_ " Ezren said as quietly as possible. Her hand extended towards the camera and suddenly, an image was summoned in front of the camera lens - an exact replica of the expected view of the closed door. "This won't last long so we'll have to be quick."

Arentina finished searing off the vent door and threw it into the bushes to the side. She hoisted Ezren up on her shoulders and helped her slip into the vent. It was far too small for Arentina, but for a child like Ezren, there was just enough room.

"Good luck, kid," Arentina muttered once she was well on her way into the building.

Ezren grunted as she pulled herself through the cold metal vent. Luckily, after hours there was no climate control inside the building, so the vents were quiet. For what felt like forever, Ezren managed to climb into the exposed ventilation system above the enclosed loading bay. With some force, she was able to open the vent cover and descend from the room, using the shelves in the loading bay to climb down to the floor. Once down, she rushed over to the side door and opened it, causing a quiet beeping sound to resonate. Arentina slipped into the building, the camera staring at an illusion.

"Quick," Ezren said. "The alarm!"

"Yeah, yeah," Arentina said nonchalantly.

With one quick motion, Arentina ripped the cover off of the alarm panel and stuck two metallic fingers into the wiring.

" _Deaktivieren_ ," she said calmly. A pulse of energy went through the wall, nearly frying the circuits therin completely. "Easy peasy."

As a mage who had parts of her body replaced with mechanized parts, Arentina had an affinity for machines and electronics. Magecraft was just another machine to her - an extension of engineering. After all, wasn't she but a product of magecraft? Just another cog in the machine of mages? It was only natural that she treat the world around her as such: one giant machine.

"Let's get some new jewelry, kid." Arentina said with a smirk, striding towards the inner part of the museum.

Using the same tricks, they were able to easily pinpoint the security office and render the rest of the cameras useless. Suddenly, they had an entire museum to themselves. Once the initial anxiety of the heist subsided, Ezren was suddenly like a kid in a candy store. She was running around from display to display, pressing her face to the glass in awe. This particular museum housed historical medieval and ancient artifacts from germanic tribes, to supplies taken from roman invaders, and into the era of rising frankish kingdoms.

"Can you imagine living in these times?" Ezren said aloud. "The amount of mana still left in the world, an age of mystery! Knights and wizards! There were still mythical beasts roaming the countryside! All kinds of crazy stuff!"

"It was a time of strife for humans though," Arentina said flatly. "Humanity was at odds with nature. They had to survive with so little at their disposal and had threats beyond their imagination or comprehension. It's a miracle we survived."

"Well," Ezren said, still peering through the glass at a suit of medieval armor, "that's because of the spirit of humanity - the counter force. No matter what the planet throws at us, we'll continue to survive. It's pretty neat to think about actually… it's like all of our spirits, collectively, protect us and give us a future."

"Like we've given ourselves a free pass, eh?" Arentina asked.

"It means we're allowed to live, and to live how we want to," Ezren said, finally looking away from the armor and back at Arentina. "C'mon, let's get what we came here for."

The relic they wanted lay in a specific section of the museum: The Carolingian wing. The empire of "romans and franks" created in one of Europe's most chaotic time periods by Charlagmagne himself. It was the first step to forming the Holy Roman Empire which persisted throughout the dark ages. As Ezren and Arentina entered the wing, the atmosphere was quite different. It was like an amalgamation of all the previous sections. Suddenly, roman, frankish and germanic culture of the previous sections were rolled into one place. The artifacts, armor, and shields reflected this merge, though now it became showier and more bejewelled.

"There," Arentina said, pointing towards a metal gate at the end of the hall. "It's gotta be past there."

"The True Cross Talisman…" Ezren muttered, suddenly realizing how close they were.

Some say Charlemagne himself wore it. Some say it was gifted to his Twelve Paladins for safe keeping. Some debate over whether the fragments of wood under the gemstone are even from the True Cross. Whatever the case, the uncertainty and mythical significance of the artifact made it…

"... the perfect catalyst," Ezren finished with a smirk.


End file.
